Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-08
Texas.

Texas.
Texas Is a country containing 267, 900
square miles. 1t had a population in
round numbers of 700, 600, in 1870, l.
600, 900 in 1880, andha 6, 1000, 900 to-day.
Had it the population to the square mile
| (as it will have during the coming CEN
tury) New York has it would have over
co. 900, 900 people within its borders. 1t
had IS miles Of railway in 1864, and has
$500 in 1883. To quote some figures
given me by Governor Ireland:
.The following shows the extraor-
binary increase in the assessment OF the
State of late years, an increase wholly
unexampled in this country:
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And again a y the Governor:
1.-The assessment now being taken
promises to make even better showing
than last year, when the increase was
$50, 600, 600. All the returns are not
yet received, but us much as have come
in average % per cent. higher than
1882. An increase of at least $50,O00,-
900 was calculated on a few months
| pSOs tllu Vic CSUlllldUCS VI UhC NCPttA U
mcnts are based on this; but it is prob
able that it will be even more, and will
run up the assessment of the State to
$3.50, 100000 or higher. An increase OF
500, 900, 900 to $3.50, 000, 900 in one
year, affording an increase of $4,000 0
or $3.50, 900 in revenue, unless the Legis-
lature should cut down the tax rate, is
certainly q fine showing"
As to educational facilities, the
foundation has been laid deep and wide
for the grandest system on earth.
When the Republic became a State it
did not convey its public lands to the
United States, but reserved them for its
own use. / will again quote from the
Governor, who thus classities our educa-
| tional domain:
81. The reserve lands. These are
on the Texas Pacific eighty-mile reserve,
west of hundredth meridian, $500, 900
acres; and in the Panhandle counties.
2,S00,0 600. Those lands are not subject
to location by certificates, but are sold
for the benefit of schools and the public
debt.
'.2. The school lands. They are
located in all the counties of the State
except fifteen. The minimum price for
them is two dollars per acre, but for
those which have water on them or
which front on streams, the minimum
price is three dollars per acre. They
can be purchased in tracts not less than
100 acres, nor more than $40 when they
are classed as farming lands, but when
they are classed as grazing lands one
person may purchase three sections, or
1920 acres. These lands can be pur-
chased on ten years. time, one tenth of
the purchase money, with interest, be-
ing paid each year.
"2. Asylum lands. There are 4OO,-
900 acres of these lands belonging to
the lunatic, blind, and deaf and dumb
asylums.
so. University lands. They embrace
1900, 900 acres. The minimum price of
asylum lands is two dollars. Not less
than eighty acres can be purchased nor
more than 100 by the same purchaser.
They can be paid for in ten annual pay
ments, with interest, like the school
lands.
"5. County school lands. Zach county
in the State is entitled to II, ia acres OF
land for school purposes. About 165
counties have received patents for these
lands, which are now under their abso-
lutte control. Much of this land has
been sold by the counties, and the funds
received therefrom placed to the credit
of their schools"
In addition to these figures of Gov
ernor Ireland, two million acres have
been set aside for the exclusive benefit
of the University of Texas OF
a minimum value of two dol
lars per acre, and a possible value
of $50 per acre. And again, our con.
stitution positively sets aside o~ne-fourth
of all the venue collected for State
purposes from every source whatever,
for the sole use and benefit of common
schools. The State University has
now a cash credit in the Treasury Of
1868, 892. The permanent school funG
WINS 50, 500, 600 invested in the bonds Of
the State and the United States. Says
Governor Ireland:
1.-The improvement in the condition O.
the Educational Department IS well dis.
played by the following figures, showing
the increased appropriation every year
and the increase pro rata to the edu.
cable youth.
Total up
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iissss::.::..":aa :@ i, ,5@s, 81
1.-THE Constitution of the State prohibits
mixed schools, but the negroes are al
lowed precisely the same educational
privileges as the Whites. One-fourth O.
the schools OF the State are colored, anG