Virginia.

Capital:
RICHMOND.

The first known settlers of Virginia were the
mound builders of the Mississippi Valley, who
had outposts in the passes of the Appalachian
Mountains. Cabot probably entered Chesapeake
Bay in 1498, but no description of the country
was given until Raleigh's ships brought glowing
accounts of the new land to England, and the
territory was named Virginia in honor of Queen
Elizabeth. The first permanent English settle-
ment in America was made at Jamestown in
1607. The first legislative body to meet on the
new continent was at James City, in 1619. In
the same year the first negro slaves were land-
ed.
In 1624 Virginia became a royal province
and continued one of the most loyal of the col-
onies until the Revolutionary War. During the
early history of the colony the people suffered

much from Indian warfare, especially those in the western part of the region, near the Mississippi. In 1744 Virginia purchased from the Indians the right to make settlements along the Ohio River, and built a fort at the site of the present city of Pittsburg. In 1781, in order to promote harmony in the Federal Government, Virginia ceded to the United States all her rights to the territory beyond the Ohio, and during the subsequent years was reduced to the present limits by frequent concessions of territory to the Government

Virginia has an area of 42.450 square miles, and in 1901 its estimated population was 1,876,000. Although an agricultural State, it has also high rank in manufacturing, the most important industry being the preparing of tobacco for consumption. Since the State was first settled it has been noted for its output of tobacco, and it is still first in the United States. In 1900 the products were valued at $21,278,266. The production of wheat has long been more than sufficient for local consumption, and flour and grist mill produets are second in importance. Large quantities of flour are transported to the West Indies, South America, Africa and Europe. The manufac ranks third, though the pine and rapidly exhausted. In 1899 Virginia in the manufacture of iron ore, and in the State. Railroad construc in 14 towns, and at Richmond a cently opened. The ship-building largest in the United States, while Portsmouth has recently been put

At a special session of the Leg laws discriminating against negroes were made more severe. Separate made obligatory, notwithstanding that under the Interstate Com right to enter any saloon or cabin within two States. The act of 1900 races was amended to exclude from cars and trains doing a through were made to compel street rail cars or divided cars for whites would entail upon the companies defeat the proposition.

The Legislature of 1900 passed al convention, to convene June 12, to be presented to the voters in vention met in June, as directed, tution until April, 1902, after a The convention re-convened May ness, and adjourned. Its duties

ture of lumber and timber products hard wood timber are becoming ranked fifth in the United States there is a plentiful supply of coal tion and repair shops are located large ship-building yard was reyards at Newport News are the the Government Navy Yard at into the first rank.

islature, held in January, 1901, the carried by transportation companies apartments on steamboats were the fact that it had been decided merce law, negroes can claim the on a steamboat plying in waters providing separate cars for the the provisions of the law Pullman or interstate business. Proposals way companies to furnish separate and blacks, but the expense this brought so much opposition as to

an act providing for a constitution1901. and to prepare a constitution November of that year. The conbut did not finish framing a constisession of more than ten months. 22 to complete some minor busiended the 1st of June.

The object of the convention was avowedly to make such changes in the State Constitution as would eliminate the danger of negro rule, and yet not interfere with the Federal Constitution. In the bill of rights, drafted by the convention, one of the sections states that "all elections ought to be free: and that all men, having sufficient evidence of permanent interest with, and attachment to, the community. have the right of suffrage." In Article II. of the Constitution framed, under elective franchises and qualifications for office, are given the requisites to be considered "sufficient evidence" of permanent interest with the coun.unity. After reciting the usual requirements for suffrage, as to residence and age and the payment of poll tax, the article states that these persons may register: Those who, prior to the adoption of this Constitution, had served in time of war in the army or navy of the United States, or of the Confederate States, or of any State; a son of any such person; a person who owns property upon which for the year next preceding that in which he offers to register, State taxes aggregating at least one dollar have been paid; a persen able to read any section of this Constitution submitted to him by the officers of registration, and to give a reasonable explanation of the same, or, if unable to read such section, able to understand and give a reasonable explanation thereof when read to him by the officers.

After January 1, 1904, every male citizen of the United States having other qualifications shall be permitted to register, provided that he has paid State and poll taxes, and that unless physically unable, he make application for registration in his own handwriting, without aid, suggestion or memorandum from the election officers. These qualifications, it was thought, could be interpreted so as to throw out any undesirable negro vote, but permit the registration of illiterate white men. Other changes were made. dealing with matters of local rather than general interest.

HALL

Washington.

Capital:
OLYMPIA,

The first event in history relating to the State of Washington was the discovery of the strait of Juan de Fuca by a Greek pilot in the service of Spain. In 1775 Captain Hecata, a Spanish navigator, discovered the mouth of the Columbia River, but was unable to enter the stream. The first entrance of the Columbia River was made by Captain Gray, of the American ship "Columbia, and his explorations gave to the United States the principal claim to the territory watered by the river. In the same year an Englishman named Broughton sailed up the river about 100 miles from the mouth, and the explorations of these two men soon made the coast well known. The United States Government fitted out a number of expeditions to explore the region, but no settlements were at

tempted. In 1810 a fur company, of which John Jacob Astor was principal owner, established a trading post on the Columbia, and from that time up to the establishment of a Territorial government in 1853, settlers increased and considerable trade was carried on. Washington was admitted to Statehood November 11, 1899.

Washington has an area of 69,180 square miles, and in 1901 its population was estimated to be 535,000. There has been a steady increase in manufacturing during the past decade, though it has not compared favorably with the increase of population during the same length of time. The diversified and extensive natural resources, large navigable and a geographical position which tages, have been great aids toward mechanical industries. The discov and the expanding trade toward dustries of the State, especially facture of timber and lumber prod industry in the State, the charac ber and cedar shingles. The manu products ranks second among the ning and preserving ranks third. shipped to San Francisco in 1850, ment of the territory. Copper ture of iron and steel products and pulp have recently become import

Among the laws passed by the that no woman be employed in any lishment, laundry, hotel or restau and prescribed that every employ seats for employes and permit em the prevention of accidents on street railway companies shall strike, employ as motormen, grip have had at least three days' regu particular railway line upon which

rivers and lakes, spacious harbors furnishes great commercial advanthe advance in manufacturing and ery of gold in Alaska and Yukon, the west have stimulated the inin the western portion. The manuucts ranks as the most important teristic products being red fir lumfacture of flour and grist mill State's industries, while fish canSalmon and oysters were frst almost coincident with the settlesmelting and refining, the manufacthe manufacture of paper and wood ant industries.

Legislature of 1901, one provided mercantile or manufacturing estab-, rant more than ten hours each day, er in such establishments provide ployes to use them. An act for street railways provides that all henceforth, except in cases of a men or conductors, only those who lar and personal instruction on the they are to be employed.

laws were enacted. The first, instockholders in mines, provided amount of 1,000 shares in stock in should have the right fully to ineither above or below ground. The

Two interesting corporation tended for the protection of small that any owner of stock to the any mining company or corporation spect the company's property exhibit of 1,000 shares in stock should be construed as an order on the company to permit such inspection at any time, and if it were not permitted, the charter might be vacated.

Another law, whose object was to prevent discrimination in freight rates so far as possible, enacted that railway companies should weigh all cars loaded with lumber, shingles or other forest products shipped In the State, and should make their freight charges in accordance with the weights ascertained. The use of the American flag for advertising purposes was prohibited. The penalty for kidnapping was raised from a maximum of three to a maximum of twenty-one years' imprisonment. Application was made to Congress to call a convention to propose an amendment to the Constitution for the direct election of United States Senators.

The State Republican convention was held September 10, 1902. The platform adopted indorsed the administration of President Roosevelt and of Governor McBride. of the State, favors a law governing safety appliances in mills and factories, the improvement of State roads and an eight-hour law for State work.

The ports of the State of Washington have been the gateway to the Klondike and the Alaskan gold field since the rush for wealth began to move toward that Territory, and Seattle took first place as outfitter to the Klondike early in 1898. From a small city of not more than 30,000 inhabitants, it sprang within a year or two to more than 70,000, and became the leading port of the Northwest, after Portland, Oregon. It is one of the most truly American of the American cities. The population is made up of people from all parts of the United States, and the admixture of ideas and manners has been one of the factors toward bringing the State of Washington into prominence in so few years. The movement toward the gold fields brought to this State as much wealth as did the finding of gold by those who went.

West Virginia.

Capital:
CHARLESTON.

At the outbreak of the Civil War Virginia was divided in sentiment regarding the principles involved in that conflict. Long before the war the Alleghany Mountains had divided the State politically and commercially and in the Sertiment relating to her systems of taxation, revenue and public expenditure into a Virginia and a "Western" Virginia. The Civil conflict gave permanent results, and fixed an official desinition to the line of demarcation between them. The people of the western section, separated from the coast by the mountains, found their markets to the west, and naturally adopted the principles of those with whom they came in closest contact. When Virginia passed the ordinance of secession in 1861 the unionist counties in the west met at Wheel

ing and adopted an ordinance for the reorganization of the State government and the formation of a new State, to be known as "Kanawha," to be comprised of 29 specified counties. The ordinance was presented to the voters and accepted by a large majority. A State constitution was then adopted, and in November, 1861. a goverument was formed for the new State of West Virginia. Congress ratified this constitution June 20. 1863.

West Virginia has an area of 24,780 square miles, and in 1901 its population was estimated to be 982,000. Although West Virginia is an agricultural State, her manufacturing industries have grown rapidly during the past decade, the in of 1900, being 91.7 per cent. Ex manufacturing, twelve counties in River, producing more than oneState. This is due partly to the ural gas, partly to the transpor Ohio River and partly to the prox districts. The iron and steel in almost entirely to Wheeling, is by the product of this industry was ufacture of lumber and timber pro of the State, with Charleston as portance. In the production to Pennsylvania.

of

The Legislature of 1901 passed in several cther States, directing tablish in connection with the Bu bureau for the purpose of receiv ing employment and persons seek ufacturing establishments were tions against accidents and unsan seats for their women employes not actively engaged in their were directed to provide vestibules April 1 to protect their em

re

crease, according to the census treme localization is shown in the the northern part, along the Ohio half of all the products of the abundant supply of coal and nattation facilities afforded by the imity of the Pennsylvania steel dustry of the State, confined far the most important. In 1900 valued at $16,574,212. The manducts. chiefly in the eastern part shipping point, is second in imcoke West Virginia is second only

an act much like the law adopted the Commissioner of Labor to esreau of Labor a free employment ing applications from persons seeking laborers. Mercantile and manquired to use all possible precauitary conditions, and to provide and permit them to use them when duties. Street railway companies on all cars from November 1 to ployes.

corporations, which had previously $10, was placed on a sliding scale, with a capital of not more than tax of $10, and corporations with proportionately larger fees. Forbusiness outside the State were re

The license tax for domestic been fixed at a uniform rate of as follows: Domestic corporations, $10,000, were required to pay a larger capital were required to pay eign corporations and corporations who did the greater part of their quired to pay a tax of from $20 on a capital stock of $25,000 to $410 for a capital stock of $1,000,000, and an additional amount for every additional million of capital stock.

Several constitutional amendments were directed to be submitted to the voters at the general election in 1902. One provides that the Scretary of State should thereafter be an elective officer instead of an appointee of the Governor. Another provides that the Legislature might increase the salaries of the principal executive officers over the low rates as then allowed by the Constitution. The Legislature passed a resolution declining to take any action in regard to what is known as the Virginia Debt, incurred before the organization of West Virginia us a separate State.

Another constitutional amendment of general importance calls for the striking out of the sentence "The Legislature shall enact proper laws for the registration of all qualified voters in the State," and the insertion of "No citizen shall be denied the right or privilege of voting at an election because his name is not or has not been registered or listed as a qualified voter." This amendment is nearly identical with a clause in Penusylvania's constitution, which was annulled at the general election of 1901.

Wireless Telegraphy and Other Triumphs of Electricity.

Of all the forces which exist in nature there is none to which men can turn for more varied purposes than he is learning to serve by aid of electricity. He is making himself more its master with every year, and the year 1902 has been no exception, although it has not been marked by any great new discovery, nor by any development which, in the light of some of the discoveries and inventions of recent years, can be regarded as extraordinary. In fact, we are prepared to be not surprised at anything new which turns up in this wonderful field of human achievement. Meanwhile we watch with reasonable patience the signs of progress as they are presented to us.

While statistics are dry reading to most people, it will not prove uninteresting to introduce,

THOMAS
A.
EDISON,

JR.

parenthetically, a few to illustrate the progress which has been made in the untilization of electricity during little more than a decade past. These relate to the industrial aspect of the matter, and they are certainly extraordinary. The twelfth census of the United States. taken in the year 1900, is the first to give a detailed report on the manufacture of electrical apparatus and supplies. Such a report, based upon data gathered in that census, was prepared by Mr. Thomas Commerford Martin, of New York, as an expert special agent of the division of manufactures of the Census Office. The summary which follows is condensed therefrom: In 1890, the number of establishments in the United States occupied for the manufacture of electrical apparatus and supplies was 189; in 1900 the number was 580, an increase of nearly 207 per cent. The capital invested in this line of manufacture increased from $18,997.337 in 1890 to $83,130,943 in 1900, more than quadrupling in the ten years. Other increases during the decade, all showing a similarly large percentage, were as follows: Number of wage earners, from 8.802 to 40,890: aggregate of wages paid, from $4,517,050 to $20,190,344; aggregate cost of materials used, from $8,819,498 to $48,916,440; aggregate value of products, including custom work and repairing, from $19,114,714 to $91,348,889.

A conservative estimate would give the following as the aggregates. in round numbers, for the year 1902: Number of manufacturing establishments, 1,000; capital invested. $125,000,000; number of wage earners, 60,000; annual earnings of people employed, $30,000,000; cost of materials used, $75,000,000; value of products, $150,000,000.

The increase in the demand for electrical apparatus and supplies is likely to be of extraordinary magnitude for an extended period in the future, if only because of the constant extension of certain lines of business enterprise dependent upon the use of power, notably in the renewal of equipment on street railways and elevated railways, and the rapid multiplication of local and interurban systems of passenger traffic. The introduction of practical and economical methods of applying electricity to the propulsion of railway cars has led to the construction of lines in localities where it would have been impossible even at the present time to operate horse, cars with profit, and the facilities for rapid transit with low fares which have thus been developed lead to a growing demand for the extension of the lines in every direction. Another factor in the present aspect of progress in electricity, as related to industrial growth, is the growing number of enterprises connected with the transmission of hydro-electric power from points where it can be economically generated to points where it can be advantageously employed for manufacturing and other purposes. The utilization in this way of the immense force inhering in Niagara Falls was successfully inaugurated several years ago, and the practicability of converting such force into electrical energy, to be again converted into mechanical power at some distant point, was so thoroughly established then that other enterprises of similar character have been inaugurated in various parts of the world, as well as in the United States and Canada. Russia adopted the idea during 1902, and a hydro-electric power plant is projected in that country to supply St. Petersburg with electric light and power from a water power

Station from Which the First Wireless Messages Were Sent.

the commander of the cruiser Carlo Alberto, and the third was the following, which appeared in the London Times of December 22: "Ottawa, Dec. 21.-The Government of Canada, through the Times, desires to congratulate the British people on the accomplishment by Marconi of the greatest feat modern science has yet achieved. (Signed) "CARTWRIGHT, Acting Premier."

The Marconi system, so far as it has been developed, has played an important part in the shipping world for quite an extended period, and largely facilitates the transmission of maritime intelligence, besides affording means for communication between ocean line steamships in mid-ocean.

The advantage which will be afforded by wireless telegraphy in warlike operations was successfully demonstrated by the army and navy manoeuvres of the Summer of 1902, representing an attack upon the eastern coast of the United States and the defence by naval and land forces. In these manoeuvres the De Forest system was installed at Fort Mansfield, on the Connecticut coast, and on board the scout boat Unique. Of all the messages transmitted ninety-five per cent were perfectly received.

Two forms of transmission by electricity which are certain to enter largely into ordinary usage are the reproduction of handwriting in facsimile at distant points, and the sending of pictures by the aid of electric currents. The former is termed telantography, and while little has been made known concerning it, the system has been so far perfected that the United States War Department, after satisfactory tests of It, made at Fort Wadsworth, N. Y., in 1902, adopted it for use early in the same year.

The transmission of pictures by means of an instrument called the electrograph, while not unknown earlier than 1902. attracted unusual attention during that year, and was successfully tested by the sending of perfect reproductions of personal likenesses from Chicago to New York, and their appearance, as thus sent, in various newspapers. The system is a simple one, and when perfected it will be of immense value, espcially in police and newspaper work.

Next to its commercial uses, the most extensive and useful employment of electricity has been in the service of medicine and surgery. These two allied sciences have pressed each other close in their adaptation of electricity to their needs. On the side of medicine there has arisen a distinctive cult of electrical treatment, by which, under the broad term of electro-therapeutics, the Faradic, as well as the Voltaic and other recognized species of currents, are employed in the treatment and cure of many nervous diseases that were formerly beyond the reach of medical aid. Indeed, in the latter years of this science electro-therapy has come to be regarded as a legitimate and distinctive specialty.

Surgeons received their first great aid from electricity in the development of the electro-cautery. Before the general introduction of electricity cauterization was performed with instruments heated by alcohol vapor. Naturally the heat of the knife or wire was extinguished upon contact with live flesh. With the introduction of electricity came the platinum knife, which being heated to a white heat by the electric current, could never be chilled.

Next came the adaptation of the electric light to surgical instruments. By attaching tiny incandescent lamps to the exploratory instruments used by surgeons, darkness was turned into light. Up to that time the surgeon, operating in any of the lesser cavities of the body, had to work by sense of touch alone. Now he has the aid of sight. The throat, to its farthest depths, can be easily and painlessly examined, and, by the aid of the electric light, the stomach itself has been invaded by a tiny camera and has been made to yield photographic record of its processes.

Greater, however, than all these has been the aid given to both medicine and surgery by the X-ray. No longer is it possible for broken bones to be wrongly repaired. for, with the help of the X-ray, the surgeon can view every step of his work. Foreign substances in the body are detected instantly; the heart and the brain are made to yield their secrets and a positive diagnosis can be made of the presence of consumption in the lungs or of tumors in the body. The telephone, too, has been adapted to surgery, for there is now in constant use a form of probe which transmits to the ear of the surgeon the sound it makes when it encounters a bullet or other foreign body.

During the past year many notable electrical inventions have added to the armament of physicians and surgeons. The magneto-electric vitalizer of Edison presents a new curative force: the electrical audiphone of Tracy, by which deaf mutes can be instructed, is a step in a new direction, while the more recent production by Dr. Boise, of Calcutta University, of artificial sense organs, by means of which he has apparently been able to demonstrate the existence of life and electric pulsations in inorganic things, promises an advance in knowledge as great as that conferred by the X-ray.