Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/693

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PEODUCTION AND INDUSTRY 571

besides one for the insane, an asylum for the deaf, dumb and blind, and a liospital for the feeble minded and epileptic. Boards of county ooramis- sioners have supervision of the poor and may either contract for their support or appoint agents to provide for them. Ninety days' residence immediately before application entitles to county support. It is a misde- meanour to briug into a county a pauper who has a residence elsewhere. The county commissioners may provide a workhouse.

Finance, Defence.— The cash receipts and disbursements of the State (exclusive of trust funds) for the period October 1, 1910, to September 30 1912, are given as follows : — '

1-11 ^ •. Dollars

Balance, October 1, 1910 327 228

Receipts for two years . . . . , .2 247 971

^. , Total 2,575,199

Disbursements for two years . . . . . 1,863,316

Balance, Sept. 30, 1912 . . .. . 711,883

In 1910 the bonded debt amounted to 180,000 dollars, and the assessed value of real and personal property in the State in 1910 to 188,560,916 dollars actual value).

The militia or National Guard, consisting of Cavalry, Artillery, and Infan- try, had a strength of 598 enlisted men and 52 officers in 1910.

Production and Industry.— Wyoming is semi -arid and agriculture is carried on by irrigation and by ' dry farming." Under Federal Act of June 17, 1902, extensive irrigation works are being undertaken on the Shoshone and the North Platte rivers, 3,828,000 dollars having been expended (January 1, 1911) on the former project alone. Many private irrigation and development companies are also at work. In 1910 there were 10,987 farms with an area of 8,543,010 acres, of which 1,256,160 acres was improved land. Such crops as are grown consist of vegetables, cereals, and fruits. About » one half the State is well fitted for grazing and for sheep runs. The wool clip (1911) yielded 34,000,000 pounds of wool, valued at 5,304,000 dollars, a value exceeded only by that of the wool production of Montana. Other farm animals (1910) were 148,000 horses, 27,000 milk cows and 959,000 other cattle, and 21,000 swine.

About 10,000,000 acres in the State are covered with timber. The State has numerous fish hatcheries wdiich stock the streams with trout.

The prosperity of Wyoming is largely dependent on its mineral resources. The output of coal in 1911 amounted to 6,744,864 short tons, valued at about 10,508,863 dollars. In 1911 the production of copper Avas 130,499 pounds (16,312 dollars). Gold was produced in 1911 to the amount of 1,030 fine ounces (21,300 dollars), and silver to the amount of 700 fine ounces (400 dollars). The quarries yield limestone and sandstone, besides phosphate rock and gypsum, from which plaster of Paris and other plasters are made. There has been great development during 1912-1913 in the oil industry; many new oil fields are being opened. The total mineral output in 1911 was valued at 11,486,982 dollars.

Manufactures are mostly confined to production for local consumption. In 1910 (according to Federal census results), the State had 268 industrial establishments ; the capital invested in manufacturing industries was 6,195,109 dollars, the wage-earners numbered 2,867, the materials used cost 2,608,189 dollars, and the output amounted to 6,249,078 dollars. The