MAINE. 



409 



books, 1,000 law journals and periodicals, 9,552 

 Government publications, 15,827 volumes of his- 

 tory, literature, and science, 18,000 department 

 reports of the various States and foreign coun- 

 tries, 10,000 manuscripts, maps, plans, and pam- 

 phlets, besides duplicate reports and public docu- 

 ments intended for exchange. 



The number of free public libraries has greatly 

 increased in the past two years. Not fewer than 

 300 libraries are now giving out books and peri- 

 odicals. The Stewart Library building, at Co- 

 rinna, was dedicated and given to the town Sept. 

 1, 1898, and at the close of 1899 it contained 

 3,000 volumes. The amount raised for free pub- 

 lic libraries in 42 cities arid towns was $24,840.88, 

 and $2,000 was given for the same purpose. 



Schools and School Fund. The number of 

 pupils reported to the educational department 

 as drawing the school fund was 209,868, and the 

 school fund apportioned was $516,955.09, making 

 the rate per pupil $2.46J. The city of Waterville 

 gained 265 pupils in the year; Portland had 11,- 

 623 in 1898 and 13,928 in 1899; Augusta gained 

 50 in the year; Lewiston, 300; Brunswick, 172; 

 and Bangor lost 52. There were 7 summer schools, 

 with an attendance of more than 1,000. These 

 schools were especially distinguished for three 

 things that the majority of those in attendance 

 are engaged in teaching, that they are earnest 

 and progressive in their work, and that they were 

 composed for the most part of graduates of col- 

 lege or normal or high school. 



Fish and Game. The number of deer killed 

 in the season of 1898 and shipped through Ban- 

 gor was 3,032, against 2,940 in 1897 ; the number 

 killed in the Rangeley region, 217; number of 

 moose in Bangor 159, and in Rangeley 4; caribou 

 in Bangor 59, and in Rangeley only 2. By the 

 laws of 1899 the close time for landlocked salmon, 

 trout, and togue is from Oct. 1 until the ice is 

 out of the ponds in the spring, except on the St. 

 Croix river and its tributaries and in the waters 

 of Kennebec County, where the close time is 

 from Sept. 15 until the ice is out; white perch 

 from April 1 to July 1. Ice fishing is prohibited 

 in all the lakes, ponds, and their tributaries of 

 Franklin, Kennebec, Oxford, and Somerset Coun- 

 ties. 



The commissioners have power to grant per- 

 mission to take eels, suckers, cusk, pickerel, and 

 whitefish in closed waters. The open season on 

 partridge and woodcock begins Sept. 15, and a 

 person may send a pair of these birds without 

 accompanying them on payment of 50 cents. The 

 close time on muskrat is from May 1 to Oct. 

 15. Any person that kills or has in his posses- 

 sion birds known as larks, robins, swallows, spar- 

 rows, woodpeckers, or orioles forfeits not less 

 than $1 and not more than $5; and not less than 

 $1 and not more than $10 is the forfeit for de- 

 stroying a nest, an egg, or the young of these 

 birds. The close time on moose is from Dec. 1 

 to Oct. 15. The term " calf moose " is construed 

 to mean until one year old or until they have 

 two tines or prongs to their horns. The close 

 time on deer is from Dec. 15 to Oct. 1, and " from 

 Sept. 1 to Oct. 1 a person may take, catch, and 

 kill one deer for food purposes only, to be con- 

 sumed in the locality where taken, provided such 

 persons have a license therefor." Keepers of 

 sporting camps, lodges, or places of resort for in- 

 land hunting or fishing and those engaged in 

 hunting or trapping fur-bearing animals must 

 procure a license and pay the fee required. No 

 person shall in any manner hunt, catch, take, 

 kill, or destroy any caribou for six years from 

 Oct. 15, 1899. 



Ice. The total ice crop along the Konnebec 

 river during the; year was K(>I,0(M) tons; shipped, 

 322,000 tons; carried over, 250,000 tons; crop on 

 the Penobscot river, 203,000 tons; on the coast 

 and interior, 21(5,000 tons; total ice crop, 1,322,- 

 000 tons, against 878,000 tons housed in 1HDH. 



Indian Tribes. The agent of the IVnokscot 

 Indians reported his appropriation overdrawn by 

 several hundred dollars on account of the illness 

 of the tribe during the winter of 1898-'99. The 

 rental obtained from the shores of the islands 

 was $3,474.50, an increase of $2,578 on previous 

 rentals. The number of Indians in the tribe was 

 397, against 400 last year. The agent of the 

 Passamaquoddy tribe reported many repairs to 

 buildings during the year; number of the tribe 

 in December, 1898, 473; births during the present 

 year, 17; deaths, 20; present number of the tribe, 

 470. They raised 11,879 bushels of potatoes, 748 

 bushels of oats, and 110 bushels of beans and other 

 cereals. The number of pupils at Pleasant Point 

 was 95, and at Dana's Point 12. 



Insurance. The taxes paid to the State by 

 insurance companies in 1898 amounted to $26,- 

 698.04 from fire and marine companies; from life 

 and miscellaneous companies, $35,750.12; fees, 

 $12,284.50; number of fire companies admitted 

 since last report, 13, with cash capital of $2,900,- 

 000; withdrawn, 7; risks written by foreign fire 

 insurance companies during the year, $118,982,- 

 121.08; premiums received, $1,649,351.62; losses 

 paid, $893,476.54; risks written by the Maine 

 mutual fire insurance companies during the year, 

 $4,304,314.16; risks in force on Dec. 31, 1898, 

 $17,893,878.39; premiums and assessments re- 

 ceived, $50,912.20; losses paid, $39,052.68; total 

 income, $62,177.94; total expenditures, $55,248.81. 

 The total number of buildings destroyed by fire 

 during the year was 458; number partially de- 

 stroyed, 934; damage to buildings, $891,892.60; 

 damage to contents, $641,460.80; total insurance, 

 $3,944,941.43; estimated value of property burned, 

 $5,858,392.98; of property damaged, $1,533,443.40. 

 The number of policies in force at the date of the 

 report was 60,193 life insurance, 7,439 assess- 

 ment, 31,443 fraternal beneficiary, with a total 

 amount of $114,421,263.41; total admitted assets, 

 $1,350,211,955.28; total policies terminated dur- 

 ing the year, 9,185; amount, $4,603,005. The 

 total assets of assessment companies was $7,567,- 

 188.61; total liabilities, $3,669.362.59; total num- 

 ber of policies in force, 193,694; written during 

 the year, 1,312; amount, $3,849,000. 



The total income from fraternal beneficiary or- 

 ganizations was $22,230,538.35; total disburse- 

 ments, $20,533,613.21; total admitted assets, $8,- 

 482,714.58; total liabilities, $2,584,051.07; total 

 policies in force Dec. 31, 915,958; policies written 

 during the year, 3,116; amount, $3,808,000: termi- 

 nated during the year, 1,787; amount, $2.591,500. 



Legislative Session. A caucus of the Repub- 

 licans of the Legislature was held, Jan. 4, to 

 nominate a candidate to succeed Eugene Hale, and 

 Mr. Hale was made the nominee. The Democrats 

 met in caucus on Jan. 11 and nominated Samuel 

 L. Lord. Mr. Hale received 27 votes in the Sen- 

 ate and 84 in the House, against none for Mr. 

 Lord in the Senate and 15 in the House. Among 

 the acts passed were the following: 



For better protection of deer within the coun- 

 ties of Cumberland, York, and Sagadahoc. 



For pensioning soldiers or sailors in the Span- 

 ish-American War who served in the quota of 

 Maine or who were residents of the State at the 

 time of enlistment, and who have been disabled 

 in the service and can not provide for themselve3 

 or those dependent upon them. 



