390    MERRIMACK.

1872, $ 961,012. True value (as assessed on two thirds of the ac*
tual value) $ 1,441,568. Total assessed value of the county, $ 21,

389,459. True value, $ 32,084,189.

Taxes. State tax, $81,408 ; county tax, $ 37.000; town and city
tax, $224,281.66 : total tax assessed, $342,689.66, or sixteen mills
on the dollar—true per cent. 10.7 mills.

Schools. Total number of districts, 308 ; number of schools, 334 ;
number of graded schools, 46 ; number boys, 4,477 ; girls, 4 419 ;
number of male teachers, 90; female teachers, 444 ; annual amount
expended for school purposes, $ 58,564.56 ; estimated value of
school-houses and lots, $ 231,760 ; number of school-houses unfit
for schools, 52; academies, 5—male pupils, 310, female, 274.

Churches. Number of churches, 76; edifices, 75 ; seating capac-
ity, 25,083, (nearly 60 per cent, of all the inhabitants); value,

$*501,500.

Railroads. The railroad facilities of Merrimack County, exceed
those of any other county in the State. The Boston, Concord and
Montreal Railroad extends from Concord, through Canterbury and
Northfield, to Tilton ; Northern extends from Concord through
Boscawen, Franklin, Andover, Wilmot, to Danbury; Bristol
Branch extends from Franklin through Hill to Bristol; Concord »
and Claremont extends from Concord, through Hopkinton, Warner,
and Sutton to Bradford; Sugar River Railroad extends from Brad-
ford through Newbury to Sunapee ; Contoocook Valley Railroad
extends from Hopkinton through Hopkinton, Henniker to Hills-
borough; Concord and Nashua extends from Concord through
Bow and Hooksett, to Manchester; Concord Railroad, (east side,.of
Merrimaek River) extends from Concord, through Pembroke and
Allenstown to Hooksett; Suncook Valley extends from Allenstown
through Epsom to Pittsfield. The total number of miles of rail-
roads in the county, not including side tracks, is about 160. A
railroad passes through some portion of the twenty-six towns in
the county. No railroad passes the borders of Salisbury, New-
London, Webster, Dunbarton, Loudon and Chichester.    ^

Miscellaneous. Total population, 42,151—males, 20,718, fe-
males, 21,433; colored, 96 ; natives, 38,202, foreigners, 3,949 ;
whole number paupers, 244—natives, 200, foreigners, 44; expen-
ses, $ 27,837. Whole number of criminals convicted, during the
year, 146—natives, 48, foreign, 98. Whole number died, 575—
males, 281, females, 294; number died over eighty years of age,