From a tribe of Indians, signifying "a superior class of men."

First permanent settlement by French at Kaskaskia, 1682; organized as a Territory, 1809; admitted as a State, 1818.

Area, 56,650 square miles; greatest length, 385 miles; greatest breadth, 218 miles; highest land, 1,150 feet. Number of counties, 102. Has 4,000 miles navigable streams. Temperature at Chicago: winter, 25° to 37°; Summer, 68° to 73°. At Cairo: winter, 35° to 54°; summer, 76° to 80°. Rainfall at Peoria, 35 inches.

Kaskaskia, first capital, which was removed to Vandalia, 1818; and to Springfield, 1836. Chicago, "Garden City of the West;" pop., 503,185. Peoria ranks second; pop., 29,259. Quincy, third; pop., 27,268. Springfield, capital; pop., 19,743.

Number of farms, 255,741, of which 175,497 are occupied by owners. Value per acre, cleared land, $33.03; woodland, $23.68; 8,151,463 acres in corn, 1884, producing 244,544,000 bu.; wheat, 2,790,900 acres, producing 32,374,000 bu.; oats, 2,990,983 acres, producing 98,153,000 bu.

First recorded coal mine in America located near Ottawa, 1669. Coal area, over three-fourths of entire State; estimated to contain one-seventh of all known coal in North America; product, 1882, 9,000,000 tons.

Superior quality limestone on Fox and Desplaines rivers; lead most important mineral; Galena in centre of richest diggings of the Northwest. Rich salt wells in Saline and Gallatin counties, 75 gallons brine making 50 pounds salt.

Ranks first in corn, wheat, oats, meat packing, lumber traffic, malt and distilled liquors and miles railway; second in rye, coal, agricultural implements, soap and hogs; fourth in hay, potatoes, iron and steel, mules, milch cows and other cattle.

Population, 3,077,871: male, 1,586,523; female, 1,491,348; native, 2,494,295; foreign, 583,576; white, 3,031,151; colored, 46,368; Chinese, 209; Japanese, 3; Indians, 140.

State, congressional and presidential elections, Tuesday after first Monday in November; number Senators, 51; Representatives, 153; sessions biennial, in odd-numbered years, meeting first Monday in January; limit of session, none; term of Senators, 4 years; Representatives, 2 years. Number electoral votes, 22; number voters, 796,847; convicts are excluded from voting.

School system excellent; number colleges, 28: school age, 6-21.

Legal interest, 6; by contract, 8; usury forfeits entire interest.

Name of Indian origin, signifying Lake country.

First white settlement within limits of State, Sault Ste. Marie, 1668; organized as Territory, 1805; admitted 1837.

Area, 58,915 square miles; length of lower peninsula, from north to south, 277 miles; greatest breadth, 259 miles. Length of upper peninsula, east to west, 318 miles; width, 30 to 164 miles. Length lake shoreline, 1,620 miles. Number counties, 82.

Temperature at Detroit, winter, 24° to 36°; summer, 67° to 72°: rainfall, 30 inches.

Detroit the metropolis; pop., 133,269. Grand Rapids, manufacturing city; pop., 41,934. Lansing, the capital; pop., 9,776. Pop. Bay City, 29,413; East Saginaw, 29,100; Jackson, 19,136; Muskegon, 17,845; Saginaw, 13,767. Detroit, Marquette, Port Huron and Grand Haven are ports of entry.

Number farms, 154,008. Value per acre, cleared land, $34.39; woodland, $20.27. Corn crop, 1884, 26,022,000 bu.; wheat, 29,772,000 bu.; oats, 19,990,000 bu. Fruit raising an important industry.

Copper mines in Houghton, Ontonagon, and Keweenaw counties; valuable iron ores in Marquette and Delta counties; coal in Shiawassee, Eaton, Ingham and Jackson counties. Salt manufactured in year ending November 30, 1884, 3,252,175 barrels.

Ranks first in copper, lumber and salt; second in iron ore; third in buckwheat; fifth in sheep, hops and potatoes; sixth in wheat and barley; seventh in agricultural implements; eighth in miles railway; ninth in oats.

Grand Haven, Au Sable and Detroit are centres of valuable fishing interests; principal catch is trout and whitefish.

Population, 1,843,369: male, 958,551; female, 884,818; native, 1,419,395; foreign, 423,974; white, 1,817,562; colored, 17,548; Indians, 8,259.

State, congressional and presidential elections, Tuesday after first Monday in November; number Senators, 32; Representatives, 100; sessions of legislature biennial, in odd-numbered years, meeting first Wednesday in January; limit of session, none; terms of Senators and Representatives, 2 years each.

Number electoral votes, 13; number voters, 467,687. Duelists are excluded from voting.

Number colleges, 9; efficient public schools; school age, 5-20.

Legal interest, 7; by contract, 10; usury forfeits excess of interest.

From river of same name; an Indian word signifying "Wild-rushing River." First settled by French, at Green Bay, 1669; organized as a Territory, 1836; first Territorial legislature at Belmont, Sept. 1, 1836; admitted as a State, 1847.

Area, 56,040 square miles; greatest length, 300 miles; greatest breadth, 260 miles; Mississippi river navigable throughout southwest boundary; excellent harbors in Lake Superior on north, and Lake Michigan on east. Port Washington, one of the finest natural harbors in tie world. Number counties, 67. Temperature at Milwaukee; winter, 19°to 31°; summer, 63° to 70°; rainfall, 30 inches.

Milwaukee, port of entry, great pork packing and beer brewing centre; also grain and wheat market: pop., 158,509. Madison, capital; pop., 12,064. Population Eau Claire, 21,668; Fond du Lac, 12,726.

Number farms, 102,904; average value per acre, cleared land, $26.27; woodland, $19.55. Wheat most valuable crop; cultivation of flax increasing; many acres devoted to culture of cranberries; buckwheat crop, 1883, 177,792 bu.; hay, 2,354,835 tons; corn, 1884, 26,200,000 bu.; oats, 45,940,000 bu.; wheat, 20,083,000 bu. Latest reported dairy products: milk, 25,156,977 gals.; butter, 33,739,055 lbs.; cheese, 19,088,405 lbs.

Extensive lead mines in Grant, Lafayette and Iowa counties; native copper in the north, in Crawford and Iowa counties. Milwaukee clay famous for making cream-colored brick. Iron ores in Dodge, Sauk, Jackson and Ashland counties.

Ranks second in hops, third in barley and potatoes, fourth in rye and buckwheat, fifth in oats and agricultural implements, seventh, in iron and steel, eighth in hay and milch cows, and ninth in copper.

Population, 1,563,423: male, 811,051; female, 752,372: native, 1,069,433; foreign, 493,990: white, 1,555,152; colored, 5,576; Indians, 2695

State, congressional and presidential elections, Tuesday after first Monday in November; number Senators, 33; Representatives, 100; sessions biennial, in odd-numbered years, meeting second Wednesday in January; limit of session, none; term of Senators, 4 years; of Representatives, 2 years. Number electoral votes, 11; number voters, 340,482; insane, idiots, convicts, bribers, betters and dualists excluded from voting.

Number colleges, 7; number public schools, 6,588; school population, 495,233; school age, 4-20.

Legal interest, 7; by contract, 10; usury forfeits entire interest.

Name is of Indian origin, and means "The Beautiful land."

Part of the Louisiana purchase; merged into Missouri Territory, 1812; into Michigan, 1834; into Wisconsin, 1836. First white settlement at Dubuque, 1788. Admitted as a State, 1846.

Area, 56,025 square miles, about that of Illinois; extent north and south, 208 miles; east and west, about 300 miles. Principal rivers within State: Des Moines, Iowa and Little Sioux. Number counties, 99. Temperature at Davenport: winter, 21° to 37°; summer, 70° to 76°. Rainfall at Mascutine, 43 inches.

Des Moines, metropolis and capital: pop., 32,469. Pop. of Dubuque, 26,330; of Davenport, 23,830; of Burlington, 23,459; of Council Bluffs, 21,557. Keokuk, Burlington and Dubuque are United States ports of delivery.

Number farms, 185,351; average value per acre, cleared land, $27.36; woodland, $39.36. Corn crop, 1884, 252,600,000 bu.; wheat, 31,270,000 bu.; oats, 78,650,000 bu.; potatoes, 1883, 13,216,868 bu.; barley, 4,638,348 bu.; sorgham syrup, 2,640,000 gals.

Dairy interest growing in importance, creamery and factory products bringing high prices. There were 60,940,553 lbs. of butter and 3,378,924 lbs. cheese made in 1880.

Manufacturing establishments are numerous, including canning factories, stove and other foundries, engine-building, paper and woolen mills, lumber and saw mills, etc.

Ranks first in hogs; second in milch cows, oxen and other cattle, corn, hay and oats; third in horses; fifth in barley and miles of railway: sixth in potatoes and rye; seventh in wheat and coal.

Pop., 1,753,980: male, 911,759; female, 842,221: native, 1,443,576; foreign, 310,404: white, 1,753,980; colored, 9,310; Chinese, 33; Indians, 466

State elections annual, Tuesday after second Monday In October, excepting years of presidential elections, when State congressional and presidential elections occur together; number Senators, 50; Representatives, 100; sessions of legislature biennial, in even-numbered years, meeting second Monday in January; limit of session, none; term of Senators, 4 yrs.; of Representatives, 2 yrs.

Number electoral votes, 13; number voters, 416,658. Idiots, insane and criminals excluded from voting.

Number colleges, 19: school pop., 604,739; school age, 5-21.

Legal interest rate, 6; by contract, 10; usury forfeits 10 per cent. per year on amount. State has adopted prohibition.

Named from the river; term of Indian origin, signifying "whitish or sky-colored water."

Explored by Hennepin and La Salle, 1680; Fort Snelling built 1819; organized as a Territory, 1849; admitted 1858.

Area, 83,365 square miles, extreme length, 380 miles; breadth near north line, 337 miles; near middle, 183 miles; and on the south line, 262 miles. Number counties, 80.

Temperature at St. Paul: winter, 11° to 30°; summer, 67° to 74°. Rainfall at Fort Snelling, 25 inches.

Pembina, port of entry on Red river. St. Paul, port of delivery and capital; population, 148,074. Minneapolis, metropolis and great commercial centre for lumber, wheat and flour; population, 147,810. Land offices at Taylor's Falls, Fergus Falls, Worthington, Redwood Falls, Benson and Duluth.

Number farms, 140,000; value per acre, cleared land, $20; woodland, $15. Total acreage of the State, 53,353,600; in farms, 16,000,000; in forests, 1,800,000.

Wheat the staple, and milling the great industry, giving employment to nearly 4,000 people. Capital invested in flour and grist mills, $21,000,000; value of products, $45,000,000. Corn crop, 1884, 28,630,000 bu., valued at $7,797,900; wheat, 50,117,481 bu., valued at $25,000,000; oats, 36,100,000 bu., valued at $7,220,000. Average value of corn, 1884, 33 cents; of wheat, 50 cents; of oats, 20 cents.

Ranks fourth in wheat and barley, sixth in hay, eighth in oats.

Dairy interest increasing in value; production of butter and cheese becoming one of great industries; latest reports give 19,223,835 lbs. butter; cheese, 975,329 lbs.

Population, 1,118,486: male, 605,551; female, 512,935: native, 733,320; foreign, 381,340: white, 1,115,358; colored, 1,814; Chinese, 99: Indians, 1,215.

State, congressional and presidential elections, Tuesday after first Monday in November; number Senators, 47; Representatives, 103; sessions of legislature biennial, in odd-numbered years, meeting Tuesday after first Monday in January; limit of session, 60 days; term of Senators, 4 years; of Representatives, 2 years.

Number electoral votes, 7; number voters, 306,435; idiots, insane and convicts excluded from voting.

Number colleges, 5; school population, 400,000; school age, 5-21.

Legal interest rate, 7; by contract, 10; usury forfeits excess over 10 per cent.

DAKOTA.Da-kō´ta.

So called from a tribe of Indians of the same name.

First permanent white settlements made by Lord Selkirk at Pembina, 1812; organized as a Territory, 1861; first legislature at Yankton, March, 1862.

Area, 149,100 square miles; average length, 450 miles; breadth, 350 miles; ranks in size next to Texas and California. General elevation, 1,000 to 2,500 feet; Red river frontage, about 250 miles; the Missouri navigable throughout the Territory. Number counties, 136.

Temperature at Bismarck: winter, 4° to 27°; summer, 63° to 71°. Climate dry, and cold not so penetrating as in moister regions further east. Rainfall at Fort Randall, 17 inches; 73 per cent. of year's rain falls in spring and summer.

Fargo, the metropolis of Northern Dakota, an enterprising city, does a large business; has gas, electric lights, and street railway. Bismarck, capital, rapidly developing into an important business centre. Yankton, chief town of the south. Land offices at Fargo, Bismarck, Huron, Deadwood, Yankton, Mitchell, Aberdeen, Watertown and Grand Forks. Railway mileage, 1870, 65; 1884, 2,494. The Northern Pacific has a mileage of 375, crossing the northern central portion from Fargo through Bismarck in an almost direct westerly line through the Territory.

Finest wheat-growing country on the continent; corn crop, 1884, 13,950,000 bu.; oats, 11,812,000; wheat, 22,330,000 bu.; 2,800,000 bu. reported as freighted over Northern Pacific in four months of 1883, 76 per cent. being of best grade. Oats yield 50 to 75 bu. per acre; potatoes yield well and are of great size. Nutritious grasses at all seasons and abundant water offer remarkable advantages for stock raising; wool growing an important industry; climate especially favorable for sheep. Ranks fourth in gold, and ninth in silver; latest reported gold product, $4,123,081; mineral wealth centred in Black Hills; coal found in workable quantities west of the Missouri.

Population, 135,177 in 1880, with sufficient increase since then to entitle her to admission as a State: male, 82,296; female, 52,881; native, 83,382; foreign, 51,795; white, 133,147; colored, 401; Chinese, 238; Indians, 1,391.

Territorial, congressional and presidential elections, Tuesday after first Monday in November; number Senators, 12; Representatives, 24; sessions biennial, in odd-numbered years, meeting 2d Tuesday in January; limit session, 60 days; terms of Senators and Representatives, 2 years each. Number voters, census 1880, 51,003.

Legal interest rate, 7; by contract, 12; usury forfeits excess.

NEBRASKA.Ne-bras´ka.

Name first applied to the river, and is of Indian origin, signifying Shallow Water. Organized as a Territory, 1854; admitted 1867.

Area, 76,855 square miles; width, north and south, about 210 miles; greatest length in centre, about 420 miles. Platte, the principal river, extending through the State east and west. Number counties, 80.

Temperature at Omaha: winter, 20° to 34°; summer, 72° to 78°. Rainfall, Fort Kearney, 25 inches.

Omaha, U. S. port of delivery, principal city and commercial centre; population, 61,835. Lincoln, a thriving city, containing State University; population, 1870, 2,441, and 1885, 20,004. Population Plattsmouth, 5,796; of Nebraska City, 5,597.

Number farms, 63,387. Average value per acre, cleared land, $8.93; woodland, $25.85.

Corn crop, 1884, 122,100,000 bushels; wheat, 28,325,000 bushels; oats, 21,630,000 bushels. Rye, buckwheat, barley, flax and hemp yield abundant crops. Apples, pears, plums, grapes and berries are plentiful. Ranks eighth in corn and barley, and ninth in rye.

Herd law excellent, and grazing land good. Cattle raising the great industry of the State, next to agriculture.

Manufacturing establishments show a wonderful increase of from 670 in 1870 to 1,403 in 1880. Capital invested, $4,881,150; number hands employed, 4,773.

Homesteads obtained under timber claims or by pre-emptions; cash expense of first, $18 to $36; of second, $14. U.S. land offices at Dakota City, Norfolk, Grand Island, Lincoln, Beatrice, Bloomington and North Platte.

Population, 452,402: male, 249,241; female, 203,161; native, 354,988; foreign, 97,414; white, 449,764; colored, 2,385; Chinese, 18; Indians, 235.

State, congressional and presidential elections, Tuesday after first Monday in November; number Senators, 33; Representatives, 100; sessions biennial, in odd-numbered years, meeting first Tuesday in January; limit of session, 40 days; terms of Senators and Representatives, 2 years each. Number electoral votes, 5; number voters, 129,042. U.S. army, idiots and convicts excluded from voting.

Number colleges, 9; school population, 135,511; school age, 5-21.

Legal interest, 7; by contract, 10; usury forfeits interest and cost.

Railroad mileage, 1865, 122; 1885, 2,891.

From Kansas river. Indian name, signifying "Smoky Water". Visited by Spaniards, 1541, and by French, 1719. Part of Louisiana purchase, and afterward of Indian Territory. Organized as a Territory, 1854. Admitted as a State, January, 1861.

Area, 82,080 square miles. Length, 400 miles; breadth, 200 miles. Geographical centre of United States, exclusive of Alaska. Missouri river frontage, 150 miles; largest rivers, Solomon, Neosho, Saline, Arkansas, Republican and Kansas. Number counties, 100.

Temperature at Leavenworth: summer, 74° to 79°; winter, 25° to 35°: rainfall, 81 inches.

Metropolis, Leavenworth; population, 29,268. Capital, Topeka; population, 23,499. State University at Lawrence; State asylums for insane and feeble-minded at Topeka and Osawatomie; institution for education of the blind, Wyandotte; for deaf-mutes, Olathe.

First railroad built, 1865; length, 40 miles. Railroad mileage, 1875, 2,150; Jan. 1, 1886, 4,888.

Number farms, 1860, 10,400; 1880, 138,561. Average value per acre, cultivated land, $11.82; woodland, $19.12. Peculiarly adapted for stock raising. Gain, per cent., in horses, for ten years, 138; cows, 149; mules, 1,040; other cattle, 203; sheep, 210; hogs, 132.

Latest reported crop: castor beans, 765,143 bu.; cotton, 33,589 lbs.; flax, 622,256 bu.; hemp, 557,879 bu.; corn, 1884, 168,500,000 bu.; wheat, 34,990,000 bu.; oats, 27,419,000 bu.

Number hands employed in manufactories, 1860, 1,735; in 1870, 6,844; in 1880, 12,064. Net value of manufactured products increased 67 per cent. in first period, 95 per cent. in second.

Ranks fifth in cattle, corn and rye; seventh in hay, and ninth in hogs, horses, wheat and coal. Coal area, 17,500 square miles.

Population, 996,096: male, 536,667; female, 459,429; native, 886,010; foreign, 110,086; white, 952,155; colored, 43,107; Chinese, 19; Indians, 815. State, congressional and presidential elections, Tuesday after first Monday in Nov.; Senators, 40; Representatives, 125; sessions biennial, meeting second Tuesday in January in odd-numbered years; limit of session, 50 days; term of Senators, 4 years; of Representatives, 2 years.

Number electoral votes, 9; number voters, 265,714. Idiots, insane, convicts and rebels excluded from voting.

Number colleges, 8; number schoolhouses, over 5,000; school attendance, 69 per cent. of school population; school age, 5-21.

Legal interest, 7; by contract, 12; usury forfeits excess of interest.