The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-09-06

rapid growth of Omaha has excited
The envy of-thew towns south of the
Platte, and considerable ill-Fill has
Consequently been engendered TO-
toward Omaha. This city was the
territorial pitai, and Is still the seat
of the State government. 1t is GER,
tainIy, in the opinion of unpreJudlced
persons, the proper place for 1t until
the back and northern portions OF
the State are settled up when some
point on the Union Pacific Railroad
considerably west of the Missouri
river would be nearer the geographi-
cal centre, and more accessible to all
the people.
mated June 14th, 1867. when the Leg
islature of theI new State passed an
act relocating the capital-or strictly
speaking locating the State capital at
the town of Lancaster, in Lancaster
County, about midway between HE
Missouri River and the frontier set,
Elements, and the Platte and Missouri
State line The name of the lucky
village or settlement was changed to
Lincoln City to- give it eclat, and
the wheels wereSset in motion for dis
posing of lots and inducing people to
settle there in as large numbers as
possible. The commissioners named
In the act for executing its provisions
were the Governor David Butler,
Thos. P. Kennard, Secretary, and
John Gillespie, Auditor of State.
with the Treasurer of State, within a
nonI.kso-aI IL
faithful performanc of their duties.
Having ON the 14th of August Sc
lected this site of the new Capital.
and officially located it, the Commits
sioners on the Eth of August pub
lished an official notice of the sale of
lots, to be held as follows; At Lincoln
City for five consecutive days from
September II, 1867; then at Nebras-
ka City for five days from September
24; then at Omaha for five days-sale
to commence at 10 o'clock A M. on
each day respectively. < In pursuance
of the act the lots are to be appraised
by the Commissioners, and sold to
the highest bidder above the apprais-
ed value, for cash in hand The bust
ness lots are % by 142 feet in
dimensions; other lots so by 142 feet.
The principal streets are 120 feet wide.
Others 100 feet. Alleys. 16 feet. A re-
servation of IL acres each has been
made for the Capitol Square. Univer-
sity Place, Agricultural College, and
City Park, and further reservations
have been made for other public
buildings. The Commissioners state
in their public notice that Lincoln
is situated in the valley of Salt Creek.
80 miles west of the Missouri River,
aud about equally distant from Oma-
ha, Plattsmouth and Nebraska Eity,
in the center of the most wealthy and
productive agricultural portion of the
State, with. an abundance of stone !,
and other material, convenient to
build all the necessary buildings, and
pure water to be had in abundance at
a depth of 80 or 40 feet. Also, at the
junction Of. Burlington & NJ. M. r. |
r. via Plattsmouth and the Iowa
State Line r. r., via Nebraska City |
aad is situated within one mile of the
Great Salt Basin, which has proved
by actual experiment to be the richest
surface waters in the United States.
A fierce controversy has sprung up
between those favorable to the reioca-
ton and those opposed, led by the
Omaha people. Although the Com
nissloners are Republicans, the Re
publican organ, the Omaha Repubh-
can, has come down on the project
" like a thousand OF brick" The ed
itor, Major Balcombe, denies that
Lincoln City has such great a6van-
tages as are stated by the Commits
sioners, and -unites with the, Demo-
cratic organ, the Omaha Herald, in
ridicaling the new site, and its loca-
tionss and surroundings A legal
bubble is relied on to defeat the +,
scheme, which seems to rest on the
alleged fact that instead of regularly
filing the @ official bond with
the Treasurer of State within
the time prescribed, the Com
missioners placed it ul in his
hands in such a way that he did not
consider it filed according to law. He
il bankefsof Omaha, aud the bond
Is placed In his safe as special de-
posit, but is not considered by him as
officially on file. The Omaha people
declare that valid title cannot be
given to the lots, and say they will
test the matter at the end of the law.
The commissioners, however, declare
with equal emphasis that the bubble
can not defeat the relocation, which |
is merely a question of time. The
prospect Is that there will be a. crowd
of spectators on hand at the sale, to
bid off the property. The appraise-
ment has probably been made before
this, as the Governor told me that he
would start last Monday for that pur-
pose, and he also stated that the sale
would come off positively as advertis-