The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-02-17
INDIANAPOLIS.
WHAT OTHERS THINK OF 1T.

ION AND CITIZENS.
A letter from this city to the Spectator.
Published at ~Staunton. Virginia, has some
pleasant notes about the city. The writer
says: Indianapolis is perhaps the most
beautiful as well as the most remarkable
city IN the union. 1t is strictly an inland
city, having no water communication. not
even a canal yet il has attained a population
Of 10000 or 5000 souls, and is still growing
very rapidly. Before the late war the pop
ulstion was about gs,0e0. The city is stu
attd or one of the forks Of White river, on a
vast and fertile plain, and nearly in the
geographical centre of the state. The site Of
the city is nearly Level, there being an incli-
nation westward inst sufficient 10 effect
good drainage, or 10 or - feet iron the east
ern limits into White river on the west. In
extena it rs about AZ mixes north and south,
by about 2H east and west. The streets
cross al right angles; running precisely N.
and s.. and +. and w There are also four
aven ue= or Diagonal streets whish verv
much confuse a stranger m the city. These
avenues diverge from the several corners
OF a 81 rare constituting four blocks
in the centre of the city. Vir-
ginia avenue u n exactly southeast. Ken
lucky avesue southwest, indiana avenue
northwest, and Massachusetts aVenBe north
east; all extending 70 the lszaiIs of the CITY.
If these aveEnes weEs made to I'VE TO a
point, it would be in the miSsle of the gov
ernor's circle, which is clipped out, as it
were, from these four blocks, and so-called-
i believe, fromstbe governors souse hz9ing
once been losted in it:.it = now used
mostly as a park Nov. il is Vs-y plain that
if a pedestrian, or a vehicle, o. the street
cars, wishes TO traverse the ~cisY-which is
nearly a rectang1e-by tsssing these avenues.
- - -
triangle is Travelled, instead of ths other two
sides of the square,; ths same q true of
every square on ten squares throRGh which
these diagonals pass; nus v&5y much,
shortening the distance 10 be trapeled.
The street and sidewalks are wi6s-- Wash
jngton, the principle BUSINESS strest, being,
I'D feet wide-the Others from 90 to 50 feet.
Except the most business portion of the
city, the streets are tlsiel1lyss set on both sides
with splendid shade trees, which render il
delightful in the summer. Street GAYS ira
verse the city in every direction.
WHAT HAS MADE THT>Ur1
What il is? And what causes the prpula-
tion to increase at the rate OF 1000 or 5000.
every year, and the great number Of new
bsildings of immens proportions thSt are
now going up? The industry sz~diindomit-
able energy of the people are doubtless the
prime cause; and its peculiar location, and
the number of its railroads, n what will
make it in a few years al large again as it
now IS. &c is like a vast centiDe5e. or the
wheel of a carriage, the hub representing the
city, and the spokes the railroads eentering
there. There are now thirteen railroads
leaving the city, besides Others pushing into
there just outside of the city A gentleman
An ex-editor, too, and of course he was in
telligent-told me that out of ninety-two
counties " hich comprise thestsse, the citizens
of aIUhfU Of ithaca nfTaC amid hrQaEfoCf
at home, take the train for the city, transact
their business here, and take their supper at
home the same evening; anathat for forty
or fifty miles around the city the ladies
would come TO town to shep and buy all
their fne goods. So, as Paris in France, In
dianapolis is Indiana. But these are only a
few resources of this beautiful city. The
manufacturing interest is considerable, and
is rapidly increasing. The poFk-packing
business is quite extensive. I ONLY visited
the establishment of Homes, Petit 81
Bradshaw, woo erected a building last sum-
mer, I0Ox290 feet three stCrifs high, at a
ofS7Se0o. They are killing from 100 to
I 400 hogs per day. Tho lower floor of this
immense building was PACKED. with pork
sailed down, to the depth of from four TO six,
feet. heard them speak of shipping car
load Of hogs feet every day or two.
There are institutions here Or the insane,
the blind, and the deaf and dErab. The city
and county Of Marion are now erecting q
court house, which. when completed, will
cost about =, 900, 900; and the state is prepar-
ing to build a new state holse at a cost of.
two or three million dollars. This seems to
be y city OF churches. as l heErd them speak
of the tenth Presbyterian, TO ssy,nothing-ot
the churches of other demonstrations b
| city is full OF schools and colleges of first
rats. standiag. with an able S3agentlemanly
corps of professors. The hotel Bates is the
leading bstel, being irst-class-in all of its
arrangements; there are many other good
hotels, the names of which Bhave forgotten.
ABOUT THE PEo8GE-
And nov as to the character of the citizens.
OF what avail are princely palaces, Tntiring,
industry, a splendid city, teeming with
wealth, and flushed with progress, if its citi-
zens are mean, selfish add inhospitable?
But sueAa city 1 have neTer.met With. The
people here are kind, ur1ane, social, gener-
Gus, bespitable and chaa;table. This COM
pletely bellies the impression with some in
the soGth, that the people of the vest are too
muck engaged with haS8ness and money
| making 10 treat a stranger with any polite
ness and consideration whatever. 1t is true
that the population of sAe city Is somewhat
| heterogeneous but theeoe Is a lSrge, and per-
i haps a predominant, element OF Nirginians
and E-entacki2ns; some of recent lmmigra-
tioa, bus a much larger nuifber of the pi-
oneers and their descendants 1t has been
nv good Sortuneto have my lot cast amongst
the best and oldest citizens of the city,
and / have found aaeir cDstoms and man.
ners very much ike thAse of Virginia.
Their kindness ana hospitality seem to be
intensified by tbs element of hustle and
progress by which they are constantly sur
rounded. For a fortnight, I nave enjoyed
the unOstentaticas, bus the kindness and
most liberal hospitality of some, and the
p~alatial entertainrnent of others. and the
same good will and hospitality perva6ed al.
ASOTHEI
! A correspondent writes the Cincinnati
Enquirer frrm this city$ I~ndanapoli:
is beginning to feel the "spEing il
her veins.~ Within the past ten day
manufacturing, real estate, and. bust
ness in general has received a new impetus
L aSnocia IN L. L. tha raal aStata nnlsa fhnnhhinl