RELIGION. In 1900 there were about 900 church organizations, with a membership of 70, 000. They owned church property valued at $500, 000. The Catholic Church had a membership of 13.801. The Methodist Episcopal, Christian, Bap tist, and Missionary Baptist churches each re corded a membership of nearly 5000, but the total number of adherents was inneh greater. The Methodist Episcopal South had 6340 members.
In 1900 the illiterate population amounted to 5.5 per cent. of the total population ten yearsof age and over. Almost from the first Ok lahoma has provided facilities for primary educa tion equal to those of the most advanced States. The first public structure in almost every com munity was a schoolhouse. Two sections in each township were reserved for the use and benefit of the common schools. The income from the rental of these lands has increased annually, and in 1899 amounted to $189.156. The total expenditure for public schools in 1900 was $656. 095. of which $385,856 was paid as salaries to superintendents and teachers. in 1900 there were
120.210 children between the ages of five and eighteen, of whom 99.602 were enrolled in the public schools, and 63,715 were in average at tendance. In 1901 the LeHslature granted au thority to counties having a population of over 6000 to establish high schools. There are sepa rate schools for colored children. in 1900 there were 1004 male and 1339 female teachers. High er institutions of learning maintained by the Territ ory are as follows: University of ( fidahoma. at Norman: an agricultural and mechanical col lege, at Stillwater; the normal school, at Ed mond; Northwestern Territorial Normal School, at Alva; and Langston University (colored), at Langston. There are also four sectarian col leges, and not a few academies and private schools. The United States Government main tains schools for the education of the Indians. The largest of these is the Chilocco Industrial School, in Kay County.