Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-05-25

towns several years ago, and thought IN
derstood what to expect in the general APP
pearance of this place, but must confess to
having been quite disappointed in my pre-
conceived ideas of how Lawrence would look.
10 be sure, on first alighting from the cars
at North Lawrence, one sees light frame
building of rather unattractive exterior,
serving as passenger depot, while on the OPP
posite side of the street an irregular line of
small wooden buildings, with signs reading
" saloon, "'' hotel :" % groceries," etc, sug-
gests to the mind a Pacific railroad town !;
but crossing the river. the change is COM
plete. broad, straight street, lined for
half mile with business blocks, and named
after the old Bay State, greets the eye, while
ON either hand are streets devoted to private
residences, which can hardly be matched for
beauty in any of the older States of the
country. Here and there are handsome pub
lie buildings, churches and schools. while on
tie summit of Mount Dread the State Uni
versity building attracts attention, and sug-
gests the character OF the people. The city
is regularly laid out, the streets running
north and south, named after the States, and
the intersecting streets bearing such names
as Winthrop, Henry, Pinckney, Warren.
Berkeley, Quincy and Lee.
Lawrence proper is beautifully located on
high ground, and seems to be almost entirely
free from that scourge of western towns,
fever and agAe. The business part of the
town is largely made up of one-story. build
ings, many of them designed to receive sec
ond and third stories whenever the occupants
require the additional room which they
-. - Md Is zsid 70 have cost
over one hundred thousand dollars. A num-
Der of the stores and banking houses nave
fronts that would do credit to any city. |
have noticed several splendid plate-glass
windows that could hardly cost less than six
hundred dollars apiece, and possibly much
more The city has within few months
completed fine Market House of brick and
junction City marble. Besides stalls for the
sale of meats, fish and vegetables, it contains
rooms for city and county officers, calaboOse
or city prison, a room for the steam fire en-
CINE, " Head Center and in the upper
story court room. Liberty Hall, on the
corner dfagonally across the street from the
Eldridge House, is one of the finest public
halls of its size | have ever seen. 1t will
seat upwards of thousand persons. Mont
pelier might do much worse than to copy it.
The school buildings. of which there are two
on the north and four on the south side of
the river, in addition to the colored schools,
are handsome and commodious brick ediices
somewhat similar to our Union School. of
the character of the instruction given have
no knowledge, but judge it to be excellent.
The University admits ladies on the same
conditions as gentlemen in my opinion a
good sign for the future of the State. Law
renee has voted hundred thousand dollars
to be expended the present season in new
buildings for the institution, which will add
largely TO its capacity and usefulness. The
people of Kansas seem bound 10 rival Mich
lgan even in the character of their schools
and colleges.
The churches of Lawrence represent as
many as a dozen different denominations
The Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian
churches are very fine, while the new Con-
gregational church Is almost or quite equal
in size and general appearance to Bethany
church in Montpelier. Its organ is said to
be the finest one this-sidc Of 81. Louis Fhe
Baptists have also just put in new $4,000
4ssssru9snt of tery elegant@extErior h~issk.
Hno OF nue. tone The Episcopal and UnAsa-
rian societies are about erecting new churches.
In sixteen years this town, struggling
against the most discouraging circumstances
has grown in size and wealth until now it num-
bers fourteen or fifteen thousand souls, and
gives evidence in its public buildings and
private residences, in it's streets full of activ-
lty and life, and in its tastefully laid-out and
well-kept private grounds, of the great
prosperity that has attended the efforts of
her citizens TO make a beautiful town in this,
until lately. remote section of our country.
Sixteen years have done as much, and more,
for Lawrence than the past seventy have for
Montpelier. Yet Lawrence men are not
content. To-day the city votes on a propo-
sition to appropriate 100000 in bonds to
the Kansas Pacific Railroad, provided that
road shall permanently locate its principal
machine manufacturing and repair shops at
Bismark, one mile east of the station at
North Lawrence The result will show,
doubt not, a large majority in the affirmative.
At the same time vigorous attempt is being
made to secure direct and shorter route to
St. Louis by the building of the Pleasant
Hill road. The Leavenworth, Lawrence and
Galveston Railroad has already reached Gar
net, 81 miles south, and much of the grading
and masonry for over so miles more of road
is done. Track-laying in the real Western
style-miles a dGy-will soon commence
Roads from junction City, Lawrence, and
Kansas City will unite near the border of
the Indian territory, and the traffic of all be
upon a single line. The bust
TO be immense. The cattle alone of Texas
and the Indian Territory will furnish tonnage
enough for one road. Galveston must
eventually become a much more important
port than it now is, and may rival New Or
leans itself. The growth of Lawrence is not
of the mushroom kind, but is as healthy and
permanent as-that- of any Eastern town.
More buildings are in process of erection to-
day than at any previous time since the war.
Although this is a place having nearly five
times the population of Montpelier and doing
a business proportionally larger, real estate
is hardly as high as it is in Montpelier.
Lumber Of the cheapest kind is thirty dollars
q thousand feet and vet buildings seem 70