NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



851,694.94 in 1897, $33,107,952.11 in 1898 ? and 

 $33,735,540.02 in 1899. 



There was no addition to the mileage during 

 the year, which was 1,171 June 30, but the track- 

 age *was considerably increased by the construc- 

 tion of sidings. The Boston and Maine laid in 

 the State 510,214 new ties, and 2,892 tons of new 

 and 3,037 tons of old steel: the Maine Central, 

 48,853 ties and 500 tons of new steel rails; the 

 Atlantic and St. Lawrence, 35.017 ties and 610 

 tons of new steel; and the Fitchburg. 24,075 ties 

 and 400 tons of new steel. 



During the calendar year 1899 the Boston and 

 Maine purchased the property rights and fran- 

 chises of the Eastern Railroad in New Hamp- 

 shire, extending 1(5.08 miles from the State line 

 of Massachusetts to the State line of Maine; the 

 Portsmouth and Dover Railroad, 11 miles from 

 Portsmouth to Dover; and the Portland and 

 Rochester Railroad, from Rochester to Portland, 

 52 miles. Having acquired the Eastern Railroad 

 in New Hampshire, the Boston and Maine pro- 

 ceeded to construct a second track and separate 

 the grades upon the highway crossings between 

 Newburyport and Portsmouth. The improve- 

 ments involve an expense of about $400,000, and 

 will be completed early in 1900. 



The Boston and Maine has completed the equip- 

 ment of its locomotives and cars w r ith the auto- 

 matic couplers and power brakes required by the 

 act of Congress, having expended for this pur- 

 pose about $800,000. The Maine Central and the 

 Fitchburg have also practically met the require- 

 ments of the law, and the Atlantic and St. Law- 

 rence are progressing with the same work. 



The burning of coke fuel and the oiling of road- 

 l>eds in summer to prevent annoyance caused by 

 smoke, cinders, and dust, have proved highly 

 successful as experiments, under the direction of 

 the Boston and Maine Railroad. These improve- 

 ments will be adopted by this railroad system 

 at an early day. 



The legislature of 1899 passed an act author- 

 izing the Concord and Montreal Railroad to con- 

 struct a branch from some point on its Man- 

 chester and North Weare road to Milford. It 

 runs from a point beginning near Grasmere 

 station, through Goffstown, Bedford, Merrimack, 

 and Amherst, to a junction with the Wilton and 

 Fitchburg roads In Milford. The new track will 

 l>e 18i miles long, and, with the section of the 

 North Weare branch below Grasmere junction, 

 which is to be used to make a connection with 

 the Manchester station, will make a road 23 

 miles in length. It will be opened for business 

 in 1900. 



The Legislature of 1899 granted special charters 

 for 8 electric railroads, and authorized several 

 extensions. The earnings of the five principal 

 street railways for the year ending June 30, 1899, 

 were $328,505.80; all expenses, $313,230.99. 



Bureau of Labor. It has been the purpose 

 of the Bureau of Labor in its canvass of the 

 summer boarding statistics to collect for the 

 general information of the public the most reli- 

 able data possible. The following is a general 

 summary of the summer business of 1899: 



Capital invested in summer property, as listed 

 for taxation, $10,442,352. Number of different 

 guests remaining one week or longer, 58,222; num- 

 ber of guests remaining less than one week, 95,706; 

 total, 174,280. Number of male help employed 

 3,297; female help, 9,057; total, 12,354. Total 

 wages paid, $539,901. Increase in number of 

 guests over 1898, 8,093; increase in cash received 

 at hotels and farmhouses over 1898, $402,341. 



Cash received from summer people, $4,947,935; 



from railroad fares (estimated), $600,000; from 

 stage fares, $63,275.50; from steamboat fares on 

 Lakes Winm'pesaukee, Asquam, Sunapee, and 

 Newfound, $60,369.21; invested in buildings and 

 properties for summer use, $937,785; total volume 

 of summer business and investments for 1899, 

 $6,609,364.71. 



Agriculture. The Board of Agriculture, com- 

 posed of 10 members appointed by the Governor, 

 has a general oversight of the agricultural in- 

 terests of the State. Educational work has been 

 carried on by means of holding ajmuaHy a good- 

 roads institute, field meetings, winter public 

 meetings, and 16 farmers' institutes. It has also 

 taken action in advertising the attractions of the 

 State for summer homes, resulting in the occu- 

 pancy of many farms for the purpose. Dairy 

 and fertilizer la\vs are enforced. Arrangements 

 for carrying into effect the first systematic ob- 

 servance of Old Home Week, under State super- 

 vision, were, at the suggestion of Gov. Rollins, 

 directed from its office. About 50 gatherings 

 in as many towns were held during the period 

 fixed upon as Old Home Week Aug. 26 to 

 Sept. 1. The largest of these gatherings was in 

 Concord, Aug. 31, w r here 30,000 persons assembled, 

 coming from all sections of the country. 



The Grange is a farmers' organization, composed 

 of 260 local branches, containing 23,000 members, 

 and is a permanent educational and social factor. 

 Over 7,000 meetings were held in 1899. 



There were held in the State in 1899 1 State, 

 16 county or district, and 60 town agricultural 

 fairs. 



Military. This State has a well-equipped 

 National Guard of about 1,300 officers and men, 

 organized as a brigade of 3 8-company regi- 

 ments of infantry, 1 4-gun light battery, 1 

 troop of cavalry, a signal corps, and a hos- 

 pital corps. This force, in uniforms, equipments, 

 drill, and discipline, conforms as closely as 

 is possible to the regulations of the United 

 States army. The quota of New Hampshire under 

 the President's call of April 23, 1898, was one 12- 

 company regiment, with a maximum of 84 and 

 a minimum of 81 officers and men to a company. 

 The Third Regiment National Guard was selected 

 as the basis of the quota, and was designated 

 the First Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers. 

 It left Concord, May 17, with 1,009 officers and 

 men. On May 25 the President called for 75,000 

 additional volunteers, and the State quota under 

 this call was 318 men, who were promptly enlisted 

 as recruits for the First Regiment. The regiment 

 was stationed at Chickamauga until Aug. 26, 

 when it returned to Concord, and was mustered 

 out Oct. 12, having seen no active service. 



Education. A law, known as " the Grange 

 law," was enacted which it is believed will ma- 

 terially advance the cause of education in the 

 smaller and financially weaker towns. It pro- 

 vides for the annual distribution of $25,000 from 

 the treasury, as follow: $18,750 is to be dis- 

 tributed among those towns whose valuation is 

 less than $3,000 for each child of the average 

 attendance in the public schools of such towns 

 the preceding year, in direct proportion to said 

 average attendance, and in inverse proportion to 

 valuation per child. (Sixty- two towns received 

 such aid.) The remainder of the $25,000, or 

 $6,250, is devoted to skilled supervision in the 

 following manner: School boards of two or more 

 towns or districts whose aggregate number of 

 teachers is not less than 20 nor more than 60 

 may unite and organize, elect a superintendent, 

 fix his salary, and determine and apportion his 

 services. Such superintendent assumes the powers 



