The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-06-28
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Palace OF am Illinois Democrat.

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not to say of luxury-in the Western States,
Is strikingly evinced by description which
we find in the Chicago Democrat of ex-Gov.
Natteson's magnificent palace at Spring
field, the capital OF that State. The accounts
which wo have recently had from Illinois
have not been on the whole very encour-
aging. The railroads, not long since so
highly cried up, and thought by the own
ers of the stock to be so valuable and i'm
proving property, have ccased to pay divi-
dends, and some of them, We believe, 10 paw
the interest on their bonds. A large part of
the farmers are said to be in a bad way,
unable to pay their debts, and many of them
threatened with executions. 1t is some sat
isfactien, in this gloomy state of things, to
find an ex-Democratic Governor able to
build and TO furnish so magnificent a resi-
dence as that which the Democrat describes.
II is said TO be much larger and, exter-
nally, more imposing building than any
other in the town, except the State capitol
1t is surrounded with handsome grounds
and gardens, we'll furnished with green
houses and conservatories hut il is to the
magnihcence of its internal arrangements
that the Democrats description is chiefly
confined A part Of the basement is occu-
pied by two steam engines, employed 10
warm the house and to furnish steam and
power for use in the cooking and laundry
departments. Adjoining arc two kitchens,
furnished with every appliance for the most
refined and luxurious cooking magnif-
cent hall leads TO the dining room and par
loTs, the walls of which are all painted in
fresco-the principal rooms being also orna-
mented with magnificent carvings. The
ceiling of the dining-room has an allegori-
cal representation OF the -four seasons, each
female OF rare beauty. The walls are di-
vided into panels containing paintings of
game, nsh, sheayes of wheat. clusters OF
grapes, and other appropriate subjects. The
furniture of the dining-room is OF massive
polished oak the chairs magnifcently
wrought, aud cushioned with green velvet
There are two extention tables, each %
feet long, aud able to seat fifty guests. The
walls and ceiling Of the drawing-rooms, the
parlors, and other portions Of the house,
have fresco paintings Of the principal events
i'll American history. ia the draw ing
rooms and parlors are ten magnificent pier
glasses. There arc twenty sofas in the par
lors, all elegantly got up. The carpets are
of the coStliest pile velvet. gorgeous to the
eye and soft TO the tread There are six
frst-clasS guest chambers, and seven second
. class. The first-clasS have rosewood f,.rni-
ture, with crimson satin hangings and are
fitted up with every possible convenience
ana luxury. The silver ware for the house,
as also the glass and crockery, is now being
manufactured In New York, and the Gov
( ernor is said 10 have son abroad employ
ed in the purchase of paintings aud stat
uary. 81 ---. -
{ What renders the Indulgence, in these
/ hard times, in such expense and luxury the
moro remarkable is that Governor Matteson,
like other good citizens of Illinois, has had
his losses, having been, according 70 bis own
account. swindled within two or three years
last by some fraudulent rascals out Of q
large sum OF money. Our readers cannot
have forgotten gross fraud attempted to be
parpetrated on the State Treasury Of Illinois,
which came to light soma four or five months
since, and of which, at the time, we gave
an account 1t appeared that in 1852 Mr.
Natteson, thea Governor of the State, d.
rected that large quantity of paid checks
and other cancelled evidences OF State in
debtedness, which had long been deposited
in the Canal Office, at Chicago, should be re-
moved to the State Department st Spring
6eld-a proper order enough since the canal
had ceased to be State work. IN compli.
ance with this order, the documsnts of that
description in the Canal offce-consistinf
largely of certain checks drawn by The
Canal Commissioners, in 1899, under au.
thority Of an act of the Legislature, on the
Chicago Branch OF the State Bank, and
which had been paid and returned to thc
Commissioners; also, certain checks Of tht
same sort, which, though duly signed, had
never been paid or put into circulation
were packed partly in q trunk and partly IL
shoe box, both of which were sealed VI
sent to Gov. Matteson at Springfield, anC
actually delivered into his custody. Upor
search being recently made in the State De
partment at Springfield, the trunk WAS dis
covered still sealed UP, and apparently un
touched. but the shoe box was nowhere to bt
found
Itwould ssem:that during the time tha
Mr. Matteson remained Governor, this un
lucky shoe-box must have fallen into baC
hands. AT all events Gov. Matteson, who
besides being a leader of the Democrats
: party, was . great purchaser of State in
debtedness, jus: before he we2t ont o