The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-03-28
Madison Correspondence.


or twelve years. A few recollection of a SO.
Jouin here In the summer and fall of 1848 may
serve to illustrate Less than one hundred
rods east of the State house at the period refer.
red to, there commenced dense Ticket q
young oaks; while a little farther on was a
large and impossible marsh of some hundreds
OF acres. The woods have since disappeared
the marsh has been drained and is now trayers
ed by streets and mostly surveyed into building
lots About the same distance in northery
direction from the State house, the rising
ground to the bank of the Fourth Lake, was
covered with woods and briars; many an after
noon have l threaded my way through brushes
aud brambles in that direction to Pick blackber-
ries. This part of the city, then SO wild and
unsightly, is now adorned with many beautiful
residences, and gardens tastcfully laid out--in-
dicsting to stranger at least. the abodes Of
wealth and refinement
But the most vivid of nay recolections at the
period referred to is stroll one dismal, cloudy
afternoon to the hill where now stand those tenn
pies Of science-the University buildings. Uni
old oaks had been upturned by the roots, by
some tempest in preceding years. The fallen
trunks of trees, together with the abundance o f
brushwood, rendered the passage of foot
man no easy task. While picking my way
through the tangled wood, came directly upon
a grave q rude tombstone, with an equally rude
inscription, told that the slumberer in this wild
spot had been killed by Lightning. The super
stitious fears which were wont TO haunt me in
| my boyish days seized hold of me; to pass a
country grave yard in my earlier years, espe-
cially in the night time, had always been task
to which was quite inadequate. 1t is not sin
GUAR therefore, that has stoned down to the
Mineral Point road (for such was the main
road leading west from Madison called and was
soon at my boarding house, On thO bank of the
Third Lake University hill is now sumounts
Cd with College edifces which would be cred,
it TO any of the older States of the Union
| Much, it is true, remains to be,done to improve
and ornament the grounds about the University
buildings, to make their surroundings what they
should be.
| But cam 1t dwell now on the changes which
4 few years have wrought in and about Madison,
should like to speak of the place as it was III
till earlier day, and give reeollections of life
here in the years '42, '43, and "A. Suffice it to
say that during period of five or six years i'm
mediateiy preceding the money crisis in 1857,
Madison passed through a series of rapid chang
es, in which the city spread out in all directions
and was beautifed with many Ane private resi-
dences, tastefully ornamented grounds, and sub
stantial business establishments. The natural
difficult to point out defects or suggest wherein
the site of the city would have Been improved.
| The city is laid out with regularity the
treets and avenues are broad and the lake and
! landscape scenery is all that can be desireed.
Among the people OF Madison, are found good
ly number of men of literary caste, and as for
the Ladies if any one is DESTROYS of finding more
Intelligent agreeable and better looking, he must
go on a long journey, and then most likely be
doomed to disappointment and obliged to return
10 confess the folly of his undertaking.
But Madison has one reat want-a want in
dispensable to its future prosperity and reputa
ton. 1t needs better public schools schools
adapted to the age, and calculated to meet the
entire wants of the population Il is true the
State University is located here but this is net
designed to accommodate the local necessities
Of the city ; it is a State institution. The Uni
versity, its Professors, and the interests pertain
| ing to it must be made the subject of separate
letter. Maids on needs high order of public
schools; they should be model schools because
this is the capita! of the State. The public
schools Of Madison hardly rank second rate
! compared with other cities. The schools doubt
| less have faithful and competent teachers, Blu
| what can teachers do, however well qualified,
unless they have the advantages of good school
buildings, furnished with all the proper conven-
fences and modern improvements
The people of Madison have erected. a fine
| City Hall at an expense of 5000 had this
expenditure been appropriated to the building
of public school house cOmprehending High
School with other departments the city would
have been, pecuaiariIy, hundred thousand dol
lars better off to-day, to say nothing Of the i'm.
mense advantage which would have accrued TO
the cause of poi ular education. This is obvi-
GUS men of intelligence and substantial worth
seeking q new home for their families, will al.
ways make the educational advantages of the
own where they propose to locate, matter Of
the first consideration. Such an edifce as the
NJ sdison City Hall, Notwithstanding its impos-
ing and attractive exterior, has probably never
| uot i.,f},,
in this beautiful city. In these days, moral and
educational privileges attract the kind of resi-
dents that contribute most to the real wealth
and prosperity of place.
The public school accommodations in Madi
son are quite limited. there are two ward
schools, so called, with three departments il
each land in which the classification is toeraby
good The most important ward school has
Mr.Pottor for Principal; he bears the reputation
OF being good teacher; the other ward schoo
has female Principal-Miss Sweeney ALSO wei
spoken Of The High Schools kept in a build
ing somewhat resembling rope walk +; it, how
! ever, furnishes no despisable accommodations
Prof. Conover the Principal ofthe High School
is well qualified teacher he has one assistan
and over sixty scholars There are some good
classes in the higher branches of study in thi
school, and the order and discipline maintained
are highly creditable.
as an evidence that the public schools ofAIad
I ison are not what they should be, it is only ne
cessary to say that there are at present sir pr
! vate schools in operation in III
city, and in the summer it is said that this sor
! Of schools increase to over a dozen. Every on
| acquainted with schools in villages and cities
knows very well where private schools abound
the public schools are at discoant To the pr
: vate schools must be added four denominations
i schools, now said to be in full blast The cor
: 6itinn of the nnhlc schools cannot ha ottr;hrte