in accordance with the end proposed in the school system, viz., the acquisition of a plain, substantial, and thorough knowledge of the English elementary branches, and this cannot be attained if scholars are withdrawn before, or as soon as they enter the grammar schools.

The school sessions, ending in June, were closed with the usual examinations, which "were satisfactory and showed a steady and decided improvement by the scholars in the respective schools."

The receipts for the school year ending August 31, 1870, amounted, with the balance on hand at the beginning of the year, to $12,322 65; and the expenditures, including $6,624 for salaries of teachers, to $8,139 75, leaving the balance to the credit of the school fund of $4,182 90.

Hon. A. Hyde, president of the board of guardians, who kindly furnished this Bureau the materials for this report, says: "I might add that we have three school buildings; one an old Methodist meeting-house, purchased for $2,000, to which $1,000 were added in repairs; one built for the purpose, at a cost of some $6,000 seven years since, and one, a brick house built recently at a cost of $10,000, for which the corporation loaned the money."

SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.

Congress, by the act of May 20, 1862, provided for the division of the county of Washington, outside of the cities of Washington and Georgetown, into seven school districts, to be under the control of "seven intelligent inhabitants" as commissioners, to be appointed annually, one from each district, by the levy court. They shall take oath of office and be a body corporate, with four a quorum, appoint a clerk, keep records, hold four stated meetings, appoint two trustees in each district to act with commissioners in control of schools therein, receive and disburse funds, regulate number of children to be taught, select teachers, prescribe course of study, secure site for schoolhouse, and report annually to the levy court. The levy court may impose a tax of one-fourth of one per centum for school purposes. Commissioners to provide schools for colored children. Tuition of 50 cents per month may be imposed if parent is able to pay it. One-fourth of money accruing from fines, penalties, &c., in district, to be divided between Washington, Georgetown, and the county. Education made compulsory for at least twelve weeks each year.

ARIZONA.

Organized by act of Congress February 24, 1863.

Area, 113,916 square miles. Population, about 11,000.

Previous to 1863 Arizona was included in the territorial area of New Mexico. Her settlements were, however, so far distant from the more inhabited regions as to be without communication with or under control of New Mexico. By act of Congress approved February 24, 1863, the Territory of Arizona was erected out of the western half of New Mexico.

Arizona has never had any schools worth mentioning. Numerous attempts have failed to elicit any correspondence from either officials or private citizens respecting the existence or condition of any schools in that Territory.

It appears, however, that "An act concerning common schools" passed the legislature and was approved October 5, 1867. Its features are as follows:

SECTION 1. Boards of county supervisors may establish districts.

SEC. 2. District to be composed of any village of not less than one hundred persons. SEC. 3. Any number of voters may apply for a district division.

SEC. 4. Then the board of supervisors may create a district.

SEC. 5. Board of supervisors may levy a tax of not more than one-half of one per cent.

SEC. 6. County collectors shall collect and pay to treasurer.

SEC. 7. Collectors to receive two and a half per cent. and treasurer two per cent. as fees.

SEC. 8. Board of supervisors to select school-houses, sites, &c.

Whether any schools have gone into operation under this law, this Bureau, as before stated, cannot ascertain. The physical features of Arizona and the character of the population being similar to those of New Mexico, the remarks made in regard to the latter will. in the main, apply with equal force to the former.

COLORADO.

Organized by act of Congress February 28, 1861.

Area, 104,500 square miles; population, (*United States census of 1870,) 38,187. Though repeatedly sought for, but little school information has been received from this Territory. Within a few days communication has been established with the present superintendent of public instruction by the receipt of a letter, from which the following is taken:

"I am extremely anxious that you should have late information and full statistics of this Territory for insertion in your annual report. The territorial treasurer has beretofore been ex officio superintendent of public instruction, and this is the first year in which this office has consisted of a separate department. Complete statistics have never been obtained, and I am making earnest efforts to have the county superintendents' reports · for this year contain all the necessary items.

"Under our law county superintendents' reports are not required to be furnished to this office until November 1; and as this is the first year in which the county superintendents have been required to send their reports promptly, it is possible that reports may not be received until some time during the month. I inclose herewith a blank report, in order that you may see what statistics we propose to obtain. "Will you please inform me, at your earliest convenience, what is the latest date on which you must receive my report in order to include it in your annual report? "Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

"W. C. LOTHROP, "Superintendent Public Instruction."

But one other reply has been received, from the numerous inquiries sent from this office, and that being from an isolated region in the southeastern part of the Territory, is as follows:

"TRINIDAD, Colorado, July 6, 1870. "DEAR SIR: Yours of inquiry was duly received. I have not been in the Territory long enough to know much about its educational interests, save in our immediate vicinity.

"We have an academy here which has had one session of five months. Two teachers enrolled 24 pupils, average about 16. Its next session will open September 6, 1870. It is the only school south of the Arkansas River for Americans. Our county (Las Animas) contains about 9,000 inhabitants; about 300 Americans; the rest are Mexicans. * Furnished through the kindness of General Francis A. Walker, superintendent of the census.

This state of things is fast changing. The Mexicans cannot stand civilization, and will soon give place to enterprising Americans. So, in school matters, better times are at hand.

"There is a Catholic school here, attended only by Mexicans; it has about 30 scholars taught by nuns. I know very little about it. There are in the county about 60 American children of school age.

"Trinidad is an important, growing town, and has quite a number of enterprising American citizens; hence, churches and schools receive their proper attention here. This climate is well adapted to mental culture and physical development. There is no healthier place in the world than Trinidad. Socially, the Mexicans are below par, and but little can be done with them either mentally or morally. When you publish reports please send copies.

Yours, truly,

"General JOHN EATON, Jr."

"E. J. RICE.

Colorado is divided by ranges of mountains into several regions, which are quito isolated, and inhabited by people of different races, and of widely different social customs and religious faith. Not less than one-third of her population are mestizos, adhering to their peculiar customs, and generally speaking only the Spanish language. They occupy the southern portion of the Territory, which was formerly a part of New Mexico, and of those counties in New Mexico which, in 1856, voted more than 4,000 against free schools to 37 for them. The physical features of Colorado are graphically described in the following, from the pen of ex-Governor Gilpin:

"Bisected from north to south by the primary Cordillera or great mountain chain, which divides the waters of the Atlantic from those of the Pacific. The eastern half is occupied by an undulating plain, the western half by stupendous Rocky Mountain ranges. The former, abounding in great rivers, is of very uniform fertility, checkered with arable and pastoral lands, alternating the one with the other. It is favored with temperate seasons, mineral fuel, a salubrious atmosphere, and a resplendent climate. The mountains embrace every variety of structure, intense massiveness, and altitude, fertile flanks of unfailing pasturage, and stupendous forests. In their ever-varying scenery, no element of sublimity and beauty of the highest order is wanting. In their vastness of bulk they constitute an important division of the empire of the American people, here, especially, revealed to sight in the grandest forms."

DAKOTA.

Organized by act of Congress March 2, 1861.

Area 150,932 square miles. Population, (United States census of 1870,) 13,981. Dakota is the largest of the organized Territories, her area equaling about one-half of the whole of the original thirteen States. The superintendent of public instruction, Hon. James S. Foster, made a partial report, in February last, to accompany the new school code, then first published, the distribution of which became necessary. From this it appears that-

The number of school districts organized were....

55

53

1,765

$9,010 00 $1,997 86

There were many districts unorganized, and several county superintendents had omitted to send their annual report. Mr. Foster says:

"Our schools have heretofore suffered from a lack of school-teachers, but, fortunately, among the immigrants, during the past year, there are many who are willing to engage as teachers, so that every school district requiring the services of a teacher has been able to procure one. The school fund during the past year has greatly increased with the rapidly increasing wealth of our citizens, so that in most of the counties tho apportionment to each district exceeds $2 each for every child residing in the district between the ages of five and twenty-one.

"The people of Dakota are prompt to organize school districts and open schools, without waiting for a large number of wealthy settlers to enable the new district to build at once a permanent school building. In many districts schools were opened in temporary houses until a good and permanent school-house could be built. In some districts schools were opened in private houses, and conducted successfully for several

terms, while in others a rude but comfortable and substantial log school-house has been erected, which will serve a good purpose for a number of years.

"In several districts, in Union county particularly, where, in 1868, we found schools of twenty or thirty pupils occupying temporary log houses, we find now good frame school-houses, supplied with all the furniture usually found in school-houses in the rural districts of older settled countries.

"It is a work of no small magnitude to transform the wild uninhabited prairie into a thickly settled country, with cultivated farms, supporting churches and schools. It is with feelings of pride that we contemplate the condition of our common schools. We have no large tracts of land owned by non-residents and speculators, preventing actual settlement by an industrious population. Our settlements are continuous, and nearly every quarter-section of land has its occupant, from whose dwelling goes forth to our common schools one or more pupils. It is the crowning glory of Dakota that our settlements are compact, and that in every township in the settled portion there are children enough for half a dozen schools. At present most of the schools of this Territory are in Union, Clay, and Yankton counties."

The poorest school-house is noted as worth $25, and the best as worth $3,000. Most of the school-houses are built of logs. The wages of some of the women teachers appear to be as low as $15 per month. The acquisition of a blackboard is usually mentioned. Indeed, a good log school-house, with a blackboard, and a well in the yard, and a teacher at $20 per month, is evidently considered a fair school prospect in Dakota,

SCHOOL LAW.

An act to provide for common schools in the Territory was approved January 5, 1869, and contains ninety sections. It provides for the election of territorial and county superintendents with the usual duties. No school district can receive its portion of the school fund in which a common school has not been taught at least three months during the year. County superintendents are to report annually by the 10th of November. The territorial superintendent is required to report to the legislature during the first week in the session of each year; by act of Congress, however, the legislatures of territories are limited to biennial sessions. The officers of each school district are a director, clerk, and treasurer, who constitute the district board, and each district is a body corporate. Annual school district meetings are to be held on the last Saturday in March. The district clerks make the annual enumeration of children.

Table of statistical details of schools in Dakota Territory, by counties, from superintendent's report dated February 1, 1870.

Hon. JAMES. S. FOSTER, superintendent public instruction, Yankton.