The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-03-23

cost more than one hundred thou
sand dollars, was consummated
mainly by the energy. influence and
:" spon6ulix of a MT. Mortimer
Cook, formerly of Ohio, who should
certainly be reckoned among the
benefactors of Topeka, if not of the J
State. l like to have said among
the b~enefactors of mankind" and /
have half a mini to say so yet.
Buildings of every description have
been going up all Winter, and not
only a few, but a great many. 1t is
astonishing, and while [ frankly con-
fess my Inability to get ar the logic of
1t, the fact Stares me stubbornly in
the face. and l am obliged to ackno1l-
edge the corn. Now, while Evans
vile is a city Of thirty or more thou
sand inhabitants, old, fixed and estab-
lIshed every way, surrounded by an
agricultural country that has no
superior, III venture the assertion
that more than double the money has
been spent for improvements In the
former than In the latter city.
Topeka lacks in manufacturing es-
adjustments and ought, by all means,
to be q better market for home pro-
duee. A few energetic, moneyed
men, who would devote their atten-
ton to remedying these deficiencies,
would be a great addition to the place.
Topeka. which is IDgin for potato,
vas founded in December, 1854, by
Col. e. K. Holiday and a few others.
From the start, Its founders had an
eye to making it the capital of the
State aud everything was shaped to-
ward this result. Tecumseh, now Ia
ruins, and entirely abandoned as a
town was founded and occupied by
p~ro-slaveTy men and. for a long time,
was the rival OF Topeka. which was
occupied by free State men. The
former is only four miles from the
latter place, situated lower down on
the Kaw river. l visited Tecumseh
only a few days ago, and its decay and
ruin reminded me forcibly of the
present condition Of the old advocates
of slavery. Only a little more tnan
q dozen years ago, no man who was
not IN favor of the extension and per-
petuation of slavery could either own
property, or reside in Tecumseh.
Topeka is greatly indebted to her
newspapers for her prosperity. They
are a standing advertisement for her.
They keep up q continual toot, not
only upon her greatness, but upon
the greatness Of the State. Newspa-
pers are never half appreciated. The
very men who are indebted to them
for prosperity, often even pay their
subscriptions grudgingly, and always
consider money paid for advertising
as an act of charity. 1t is a mystery
how the Topeka dailies even live,
much less grow and expand, as they
do, like the cedars of Lebanon.
While they do not come up TO metro
politan ability In their editorial de-
partments, the newspapers of few
cities of from thirty to fifty thousand
inhabitants excel them in mechanical
makeup, In size or in the amour or
variety Of their reading matter. They
are plainly a long way ahead of the
city, and they may we'll repose upon
their oars for several years to come.
The spring immigration has already
commenced in earnest. People are
pouring into this State by hundreds
parts of the world. People at home
in old Hoosier, who have settled down
In their fixed ways, who never rush,
VI Buon4 VI AAaO " aaJL41nEg AO4 I
half appreciate things out here. Here
it is pell NELL, hurry, skurry, get out
Of my way, therel
Thousands of acres Of land are
changing hands and hundreds of
homesteads and claims" are being
taken every dag. l really believe
that In less than two years there
won't be a foot Of unclaimed land in
the State worth a tinker's cuss.
It is a shame that poor men, both
married and single, will stay back
where they are compelled to almost
|, beg for O living, when by a little en-
ergy.they could come out West, each
| procure a quarter section Of good land
and go to work on it ard in a few
years be independent and wealthy.
Of course, the first year or so they
would, if very poor, have to tug and
2 sweat and manage and twist and turn
and rough 1t through" but, while
many OF them have all these things
| to do at home, with ho prospect for
} the future, here they would know
/ that the end would come. Is it not a
plain proposition that one hundred
and sixty acres of good land, unen-
numbered, and we'll located will
/ eventually make a man Independent?
And after financial independence
comes wealth, luxury and influenced
This Winter has been exceedingly
/ mild and pleasant, though this month
, has been variable and sometimes
: quite cold. To-day it is very cold, has
/ showed some and blowed much. To-
morrow it may be contrary. The ru-
NOR that Rev. j. T. ST. Clair, was a
; member of the present Legislature,
[ was false; he was a delegate to the
t Republican Convention one year ago,
from Cherokee county. / noticed in
my last letter to the JOURNAL a few
: typographical errors. but when the
cussedness of my penmanship is duly
? considered, l am not surprised.
2. S. l have written of the Legisla-
ture as if it was in still in session.
: 1t adjourned. Very truly,
j. V. A.
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