Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-23

! appointment gives general satisfaction
in Washington.
} Nebraska Capital and Capitol.
NEBRASKA THE UTMOST VERGE OF
COOP LANDs--RAILRoADs COMING
INTO MARKET-STATE INSTITUTIONS
THE SECRET OF BEING DULL.
LINCOLN, Neb., Nov. 10, 1869.
"What do they say at the East about
3 Lincoln 2"
This question was just now put to me
by resident here, one of the forty-fouI
, LAWYERS, in a tone which betrayed his
D conviction that all the world must be
, watching the growth of the two-year-old
Nebraska capital. Truth compelled me
to answer that, SO far East as | lived,
namely, in Wisconsin, the very existence
of Lincoln was for the most part still I'M
known, save to school children fresh from
geography and the lesson on naming State
capitals.
II The fact is that I never heard of Lin
coin myself until last July, and then only
by accident, while on my way across the
continent. As I approached Omaha, |
had its most conspicuous building, save
Brewers brewery, pointed out to me as
the State capitol When l climbed the
hill, however, to that edifce, l found that
il was as worthless as last years bird
nest, for its legislative glory had departed
to Lincoln-the whereabouts of which no
man in Omaha seemed to know.
But what is there in Lincoln that men
should talk about it? Not much at first
sight. At the present writing there are
only three substantial building in the
city, namely "a four-story brick hotel,
(the Atwood House,) block of four bust.
ness-houses built of native sandstone, and
the State House, of Beatrice marble.
Then there are scores of land operators
with speculation in all their eyes; there
are hundred wooden buildings, mostly
finsy, round the chief square, or near it !;
three churches completed, as we'll as one
in construction, and score of snug resi-
dences, usually brown with green blinds
Three of the State officers are building
fine brick houses, but none of their roofs
are yet on.
| So small is Lincoln to the eye. Yet to
the mind, and the minds eye, it is we'll
worth noting.
Why so?
1t is the capital not only of the latest
born among our States, but of the last
that will be born into that sisterhood, in
this latitude, for long time. 1t stands
in a block of land as large and fertile as
Iowa, while west of it you encounter the
American Desert-the "Bad Lands"-or
Mau0asSe Ie1'7'eS of the French voyageurs.
Hence, in Nebraska the tide of immigra-
tion for agriculturists, whether native or
foreign, must reach its ultimate goal, its
last chance, this side of the Pacific slope.
Here is the West. In view of these facts,
Lincoln no longer appears to me insight
icant. On the contary, it rises before me
as representing "the baby figure of a gil
ant mass, henceforth to at large"
l learn that while this State had last
year but one hundred thousand dwellers,
it now claims half as many more. In Cass
county, which traversed in coming here, |
1 was told by reliable men that seven or
eight hundred homsteaders had settled in
that district this present season, so that
there now remains no more land to be
possessed there. Later corners must go
further and perhaps fare worse.
The growth of Wisconsin, and especial |
ly of Iowa, is the worlds wonder. But it
is sure to be outstripped by that of Ne
braska. Aside from the avidity with
which men grasp at the share in what
the know to be their last chance, the
Nebraska settlers will be aided by rail-
roads, as the settlers elsewhere have never
been. The northern half of the State is |
bisected through its whole length by the
transoontinental road--an iron river more
civilizing and enriching than the Nile or
any stream of water--but which has been |
vouchsafed Nebraskians without money
and without price.
As to the southern half of the State, in
which Lincoln stands, three or four rail-
roads will each forfeit $4,000 acres of land
if they fail to finish each of them ten
miles of their track by the fifteenth of
February. More than one of them have
already finished their grading we'll nigh
to Lincoln, which is the objective of them
all, and about sixty miles west of the
Missouri. The B. 81 Nj. railroad, just
completed across Iowa, has already sever
al miles of rails laid west of the great
river. How long other States have had
to wait for railroads, and how indispensa-
BILE they are to secure the rapid develop
ment of State, / need not describe.
As the capital of State that must in
crease at railroad speed, Lincoln cannot
fail of prosperity to a certain extent
Several State institutions are already in
building there, one is the State University
in the northern part Of the city, the base
ment of which is already done, and which
whould be pronounced u creditable build
ing, if on the grounds of Yale or Harvard,
yes, better than "A majority of the halls at
either of them. Nor is the Insane Asylum
in any respect less suited to its purpose.
After all, / am not so sanguine regard
ing the growth of Lincoln as its citizens
are. / fear their Spanish castles lack
terrestrial foundations. Lincoln stands a
good way up Salt River. / can indeed
believe it the healthiest of all places.
Iowans were boasting that their annual
mortality is only one person out of LOG,
| while that of Massachusetts, is one out o
So. But here when / asked "How many
doctors n the answer was, "Iwenty
seven" When l asked "How many
graveyards ~ L was told that there was
none, none at all as yet. In the matter
of salubrity / need no other witnesses.
But the rural, agricultural growth of Ne
braska is most sure and speedy,-the Bur-
lington and Missouri Railroad, -gener-
ally called merely B. 81 M. r. az people |
now have only time for initials-will soon
bring their lands into market, but only |
to actual settlers, wishing to secure
the improvement of the country along
their line Their terms will be low, lower
than those of spectators, their sell
fishness is too enlightened not to know
that their road will never pay unless sus-
tanned by local freight and passengers.-l
a support that no road can get while it
runs through lands that remain untitled.
But | am at the heel of my letter and
yet have not alluded to the great miracle
of Lincoln, namely, that the State ediiees
there have never cost either the State or
the city one single dollar, and will not.
How is this possible
Why all these buildings--the Capitol.
University, and Insane Asylum = are
amply provided for from the sale of the
so-called " salines," or constructive salines,
granted to Nebraska by the General Co
yarnment That this land GRANT from tho