ections at Cripple Creek and elsewhere in 1903-1904.
The question of issuing bonds for all outstanding warrants was decided
to be voted on by the people in November 1908. Taxation has been very
erratic. From 1877 to 1893 the total assessment rose steadily from
$3,453,946 to $238,722,417; it then fell at least partly owing to the
depreciation in and uncertain values of mining property, and from 1894
to 1900 fluctuated between 192.2 and 216.8 million dollars; in 1901 it
was raised to $465,874,288, and fluctuated in the years following; the
estimated total assessment for 1907 was $365,000,000.

Of charitable and reformatory institutions a soldiers' and sailors' home
(1889) is maintained at Monte Vista, a school for the deaf and blind
(1874) at Colorado Springs, an insane asylum (1879) at Pueblo, a home
for dependent and neglected children (1895) at Denver, an industrial
school for girls (1887) near Morrison, and for boys (1881) at Golden, a
reformatory (1889) at Buena Vista, and a penitentiary (1868) at Canyon
City. Denver was one of the earliest cities in the country to institute
special courts for juvenile offenders; a reform that is widening in
influence and promise. The parole system is in force in the state
reformatory; and in the industrial school at Golden (for youthful
offenders) no locks, bars or cells are used, the theory being to treat
the inmates as "students." The state has a parole law and an
indeterminate-sentence law for convicts.

[Illustration: Colorado map]

The public school system of Colorado dates from 1861, when a school law
was passed by the Territorial legislation; this law was superseded by
that of 1876, which with subsequent amendments is still in force. In
expenditure for the public schools per capita of total population from
1890 to 1903 Colorado was one of a small group of leading states. In
1906 there were 187,836 persons of school age (from 6 to 21) in the
state, and of these 144,007 were enrolled in the schools; the annual
cost of education was $4.34 per pupil. In 1902-1903, 92.5% of persons
from 5 to 18 years of age were enrolled in the schools. The institutions
of the state are: the University of Colorado, at Boulder, opened 1877;
the School of Mines, at Golden (1873); the Agricultural College, at Fort
Collins (1870); the Normal School (1891) at Greeley; and the
above-mentioned industrial schools. All are supported by special taxes
and appropriations--the Agricultural College receiving