The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-12-23
LETTER-FROM ToPEk
prOvements-LincOln School Buildings
Finest School Building in the State
observation-disclosures Printers
Our Hotels
Tnprr, Dec % 1870.

their efforts to ''fin up the space de- |
voted to ''city intelligence"
Topeka however, like Artemus |
Wards show, is moving slowly along. |
In the stereotyped language of the real
estate people, it is making a ''healthy |
growth" slow but sure, you know. Not
so many buildings as last year, but bet
ter ones, &c. &c. But speaking seriously |
Topeka can boast of some very credit |
able buildings, erected this season. The |
Lincoln School building recently OPEN
ed for the reception of five or six hun
dred scholars, is undoubtedly the finest
building devoted to educational pur-
poses in this State. The people here
are immensely proud of it, and whenev-
er a Topeka man can spare time, he
walks out to the bluffs on the other side
of the ShungaInunga to gaze upon 1t.
The capital and the Governor have lost
their attractions as ''lions," and the
greatest honor that can be conferred on
a visitor here is to show them the school
house, and let him for an instant, gaze
on the blooming faces of the school
marms."
The world of amusement is lively.
The "Union Lecture Course" in which
| yours of Emporia have an interest, is
the regular standby" and can be relied
on for something or other once or twice
a month, and then there is the Musical
Union" to which this town has sworn
eternal allegiance, and which every well
regulated TOpekean feels bounds to sup
port to the ''last gasp of love and loyal
ty." Besides there are plenty of tran
sient people to fill up the intervals.
Lords dramatic company played here
to fine houses for five nights, and to-
morrow night Gen. DORIS troupe, with
Mat. bingham as ''heavy man" and
Russell for "the fun of the thing" be-
gin to hold the mirror up to nature
for few evenings. Miss Adelaide
Phillips is to sing here on the 23d, and
it would pay Emporia to shut up shops
that night and come and hear her.
The morals OF the town are exemplary
at present. The seventh commandment
is enforced "up to the handle,' the
Mayor giving his personal attention to
the matter, and sending the police in
the middle of the night to rescue young
men from seduction and ruin. A reg
ular system of prosecution and persecu-
ton has been inaugerated against the
liquor dealers. Men have been appoint
ed to go around with teaspoons and
procure samples" at the various saloons
of the beverages sold, in order to insti-
| &,,t r,ef ha
Any man found drunk, has all his mon
ey taken from him and divided equally
between the city treasury, the police
magistrate, the prosecuting attorney
and the city marshal, so that he is
obliged to go to work to get stamps
enough to "buck" against the police
court again.
The meeting of the Legislature which
formerly convulsed Topeka from CEN
ter to circumference, does not appear
to create any especial sensation this sea-
son. The ladies, even, do not manifest
the arlarm that might be expected from
Mr.. Representative Lindsey's announce
ment in the Commonwealth, that he is
"going for them" The only Legislative
fight in which people here take any in
, terest, is the contest for State Printer.
. The real competitors for the office live
here, and the people of this burg expect
to finally get hold of all the money the
1 successful aspirant receives for the
= work. So far, the Commonwealth has
1 manifested the most anxiety, which it
: has displayed by a careful collection OF
!, all the "puffs" from the county papers.
Some of these statements, thus copied.
while they may be written in good
, faith, do not amount to anything here,
: where the facts are known.
The point that Mr.. Prouty will lose
money if he fails to secure the Office a
second time, does not affect the sympa-
thies of those who know that Mr.. Prou-
( ty did, at one time, sell out the job for
!. $4,000; and while, owing to the fail
y ure of one of the parties to come to
{ time, he did not fully complete the bar
S gain, he did actually "salt down" $4,000
given him by the party who fulfilled
his part of the agreement. Mr.. Prouty,
r instead of holding the Office for frac-
/
!. on till next JHly,-two full years,-and
G will doubtless contrive to get his mon
G ey back, if he has lost any, by that time.
= Moreover, Mr.. Prouty is practical
printer of experience, and knew when
2 he sought the office of State Printer,
: exactly how long the term of Office was,
!. what description of work would be re-
| nj h., oh hu mi 4
2 for it. If, with his eyes open, he made
e bad trade, the Legislature is not es-
pecially called upon to make up his los
ses. That he has done the work well,
= is admitted, but he has done it no bet
e ter than the law requires, and no better
: than his successor will be obliged to do
D it. In creating the office of State Prin-
D ter, it was not the general understand
] ing that it was a matter of charity, and
= it is in bad taste for any incumbent OF
the Office to look upon it in that light.
9 If Mr.. Prouty has any moral claim TO
q hold the Office as long as he lives, well
: and good, but in a business point OF
, view he stands on the same footing with
his competitor. While l am speaking
, of this, may as well state, that the
story that Mr.. Prouty has accumulated
a mass of material which will be use
less if he is not reelected, is not true.
n The work requires no material not
$ found in several offices in this State,
h and used in their regular daily business.
s To sum up, the present State Printer
e took the office understanding what it
c was worth, he sold half interest in ii
!, for the round sum of $1,000, without
turning his hand over; out of the pro-
ceeds he and his partners have purchas-
i ed fine job Office, and have run large
. daily newspaper, in the most expensive
u manner. 1t seems strange, to say the
u least, that at the same time the Record,
. without a particle of State aid, and
! working with the same capital, has con-
y trived to pay expenses and make div
= idend to its stockholders. The natural
= inference is, that if Prouty with the
z | SfotA co.. ,.aars lNsas mon