POPULATION. The following figures show the growth of population: 1800, 8850; 1830, 130.021; 1850, 6011.527; 1800, 791.305; 1870, 827.922; 1880, 1.131,597; 1890. 1.289.000; 11101), 1,551,270. The rank of the State was advanced from 20 in 1810 to 14 in 1800, and receded to 20 jn 1900. The greatest absolute gain was made in the decade 1870-80. In the last decade the increase %Vas 20.3, or nearly the same as for the United States. The foreign-born population in 1900 numbered only 7981. or less than that in any other State except the two Carolinas. The colored population in 1900 numbered 907,030, or about 58 per cent, of the tidal popu lation, which is a larger per cent. than is found in any other State, although Georgia con tains a larger absolute number. The per cent. of increase for the decade 1890-1900 was 22.2 for the negroes and 17.7 for the whites. The negroes are most numerous in the western or Mississippi Valley counties. in some of which they are five times as numerous as the whites. The Indians number about 2200: they are of the Choctaw tribe. Only 10 plaees in the State 4000 in population, and together constitute but 5.3 per cent. of the total number of inhabitants, being the smallest per cent. of urban population found in any State. The largest towns in 1900 were: Vieksburg. 04.834; Aleridian. 14.030: and Natchez, .12.210.
Enuc.krioN. In 1840 a law providing for a public school system was passed. Although edu cational matters have shown signs of improve ment of late. they still sutler from muses pe culiar to the South, and the present facilities are far from adequate. Like most Southern States, Alississippi has no emnpulsory attendance law, and there is a complete separation of the races. The eensus of 1900 gives Mississippi a total school population (five to twenty years of age) of 633,020. including 379.873 colored. The il literate population amounted to 351.401, or :12 per cent. of the total population of the State ten years of ago and over. the native whites num bering 30.03S. it S per cent. of the total native white population. and the colored 314.017. or per cent. of the entire colored population. The total cut-4)111114mi in 1900 was about 387.500. and the average attendance 258.995-133.098 whites and 125.897 colored. the Proportion of al.hool attendanee to school population in the ease of the whites and the colored being about 53 and 33 Per cent. respectively. The length of the school term in 1900 Wa • 103 day., as eOlapall.d with about SO days in 1889-90. Out of the 8515 teach ers employed in the pnblie schools 1900. 5147 were white and 330S colored. The proportion of male teachers fell oil' from 01.2 per emit. in 1S79
SO to :Mt in 1898-99. The State Board of Education is eomposed of the Secretary of State. Attorney 1;eneral. and the Superintendent of Education. This board and the Senate appoint school superintendents in enmity. Before 1880 licenses to teaeh were “ranted practically any 1.xaminntions. In that year a law was providing for uniform State ex aminations, payment of salaries according to licenses held by the teachers. and for the lishment of to:tellers' institutes. '1'11e maintenance of the public school system in 1900 cost the State $1,472.432, or 95 cents per capita of popula tion. The State taxes which formerly yielded the bulk of the revenue for school purposes have been decreased and DOW amount only to about of the total revenue, the rest being derived chiefly from local taxes. 111 1899-1900 4052 secondary students (inducting 394 colored) at tending the public high schools; in the same year 1977 students (including 106 colored) were in private high schools. chief higher educa tional institutions of the State besides the State University, near 1/xford. and the Agricultural and College at Agricultural College, are the Mississippi College (Baptist) ) at Clinton.
Alillsaps College at Jaekson, Whit worth Female College at Brookhaven. and Woman's College a) Oxford. 'the principal high er educational institutions for the colored youth are Tougaloo University at Tougaloo, near Jack son, Bust University at Holly Springs. the State, Normal School at holly Springs, and Alcorn Agricultural and Meehanieal College at \Vest side.
CH A RITAoLE AND PENAL INSTITUTIONS. The State institution for the deaf and dumb (white and colored) is located at Jackson: and the school for the blind (white) is also at that place.
There are two State hospitals for the insane. one at Jackson and the other at Meridian. The State aids in the support of hospitals at Vicksburg add Natchez. The penitentiary is located at Jackson. Nost of the prisoners are employed in farm labor. or in the production of articles of necessity in the prison administration. Some of the prison farms are owned by the State, others are rented. The farm labor system is eonsidered very satisfactory and 11111, nit hien r any financial loss. Prisoners einumitt4•41 to the county jails are also put to labor upon farms.
14:1.14;nix. Over half .)f the Chureh population of the State belong to the Baptist Church, and the majority of the remainder to the Methodist. Of the lesser denominations the more important are the Presbyterian, Catholic, Christian, and Prot(•stant Episcopal.