The Big blue union. [volume] (Marysville, Kan.) 1862-1866, 1863-08-08

=; The Agricultural
College.
{, In our recent trip 70 Manhattan We met
1everal fris,ids and a qpai lakces and were
Also pleas a With tie general appearances
Of the place. Mha6s6aa shas quite .
Shd advantsgeouJ situation. being
on tie west side Of ne Big Blue at It's
junction with the Kansas river, the for
mer of which is bridged opposite the
place. A large portion Of the town site
is very level and we'll calculated to the
easy construction of buildings and the
making Of streets. 1t already has pop
ulation of some four hundred inhabitan nts |;
four fine stone churches and large school
house; several stores, good hotel, two
Touring mills--one'in successful opera
ton. apd the other in which the mschin,
ery was just being erected. This latter is
particularly fine one, being q large three
story stone 60 Affect The machinery
is to be driven bysa aferty-horse power
engine, and will probably be the finest
mill ip the State. Many Of the private
residences are also bpilta ef limestone,
which gives the town decidedly substan-
tial az we'll as tssppsaranee. sass4
In Manhattan we met James Humph.
rsy, Esq, formerly Editor of the old Ex,
presSand now in the practice of law
there. Also Mr. Josiah Pillsbury, who
had just issued the hrst number Of. good
looking paper entitled the Manhattan In.
dependent. Mr.. P. is an earnest worker
and his paper will always be found on the
side Of right. And among others we met
Rev. J. Dennison and eur State Superin.'
tendent of Schools, Prof. I. T. Goodnow,
both Of which gentleman have for quite
a period been actively engaged in the ed
ucational interests Of the State, and who
are two Of the principal founders of the
Agricultural College. The latter gentle
man showed US through the College Build :
ing, and We are frank to say that it is a
most noble institution. It's built of
white limestone, with good finish and arch
itecture; its dimensions are three stories
high, and SO K A feet base. 1t is situa-
ted little northwest of the principal part
of town on the highest point Of a gently
rising bluff or slope facing the east, to
whicA.he front Of the building also cor
responds. A neat cupola crowns the top.
On the second story Of the front is cut in
the form of a half circle the words,
Blue Mont Central College" and just
below (also facing the east is star ia a
ground work Of sky blue, which, as we'll
as the words, is .inlaid with gold leaf
The name is derived from high, steep
bluff in the northeastern part of the city
called Blue Mont. The lower and second
stories Of the building are divided into
four rooms each, embracing recitation
rooms, library, etc., etc. The third is a
hall, fullsize, and one Of the finest for
public assemblies we have seen in the
west. tits intended as the place for hold
ing lectures etc. connected with the school.
The whole institution cost probably not
less than$zO, 900. The library, consist.
ing Of over 1000 volumes, is estimated at
$4,000. The bell, in the cupola, q very
sweet toned one, (Menelly's make) bears
the dedication and address of its donor,
Joseph Ingalls,, Swampscott, Mass
Its cost was $3.50. The donor is a
wealthy gentleman besides being an old
bachelor of 70 years. He had for long
time withstood the charms of the New
England bellies and at last lavished fitting
souvenir on the bell Of Manhattan.
The view from the belfry can hardly be
surpassed in the west. We looked down
the Kansas valley the distance of twenty
miles or more, and then up the same stream
to near Fort Riley, and northward up the
valley. of the Big Blue, and from the val
lies on to the bluff tops and 'prairiss, drsss-