The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-03-14
The City of Springfield.
ny Bl;EMUS.


One day recently, having pat a fresh dauo
> of lard on our boots and coorng our nous
tache pcnsivc red, We departed for the city
> of Springfield, the capital of our state, and
the following comprises what we saw:
MUD.
Oh! The mud the mud, the beautiful
> mud. The city is checrfully stuck in the
mud, and the stickies deepest, splatteriest
nastiest, most numerous of all muds is Spring
field mud Mud to the right Of us, mud to
the left of us; mud in each alley way, mud
on each avenue mud all under. The mud
rises like the tide on the sea shore and surges
like the waves of the ocean upon the rocks
as it beats against the buildings If there is
ANYTHING else in Springfield that deserves
special note it is the
WATER
. Such water! No wonder so little is used
and that whisky is the only fluid that is con-
sidcred respcctablcl The watCr-what little
the people use--ls Of sort OF soap and mo.
IIasses order and color something like that
of tea with little cream in it. The peculiar
in the public schools, the livery stables, the
churches, the billiard halls, the hotels, and
every private dwelling, and even now, after a
weeks absence from the town and hundred
miles away the strange 0dah still clings to
Ius.
STEALS.
Springfield may be noted as the great west
ern city of steals. As nice, lonesome, plain
State House, for which the state stands just
about as much in need rs a dog of 10 tails
and ears or wagon five wheels. 1t is
located on the edge of Il rayinc towards the
western limits of the city. 1t has arches,
grottos, devils holes in the ground, holes in
the wall, bridges small mountains steep prec
iplce,, deep canyons, underground railroads,
mysterious caverns dark recesses, and un
known precincts, that fill the spectator with
awe. The foundations cover space of an
acre or more of ground that was formerly q
hog pen, and from the appearance of what
we could see of it beyond the walls of the
building, we should think it a fit habitation
only for the porcine species. The cost thus
far has been couple Of million of dollars,
about half Of which were used in the build
ing, and the balance has gone where "the
woodbine twineih." The architect thinks il
will require three years to finish it at a total
cost of about fire millions Of dollars All OF
which will be gratifying to the dear people"
who are annually selected by polite and honest
candidates for the Legislature, and on each
occasion the great popular issue is "eoono
'my!"
When the State House ring, most of them
with an eye single to the interests Of their
city and that Of their own pockets, were
ready to move upon the Legislature to get the
first appropriation from that green and plant
body, two years ago, it was given out al
Springfield that the old State House, a sub
stantlal stone building of not oveS thirty
years standing was rotting; that it was liable
to tumble down at any moment sc, and yet
there it stands as good as ever, though not SC
new, and in every respect perfectly reliable,
and will be for the next hundred years t.
come The new Legislature Of the time above
alluded to became panicky and promptly ad
Iiourncd to an immense new church, in the
building of which the pious congregation
had got stuck" and needing the small mat
ter of $4,000 to help them out, rented the
! church to the Legislature for one winter fOl
$4,000 1t was during that winter that the
first appropriation for the new State House was
'imade. That little scheme having been ac
complished behold, the present Legislature il
session in the old State House, which hold:
them IN comfortably and safely as it has any
similar body for the past thirty years, and Il,
it could any future assembly for the next cen
fury to come.
! BUILDINGS.
Springfield has many beautiful private anl
public residences, and some fine hotels The
Leland is much like the Clifton larger, bu
Central House is comfortable and in goot
Location. The landlord, though he canno
dance, is A. Piper. The Chcnery House i,
quite elegant and well kept.
SALOONS.
The city Of Springfield is troubled Will
saloons Some, or rather its principle busl
mess, is the liquid lightning trade. There ART
said to be one hundred and sixty-onc saloons
in the settlement. We undertook to yisi
them, but failed. As soon as the proprietor
of any one Of them saw Us approaching, he
would promptly put up the shutters and LOCK-
the door. From this We concluded that We
could discount the praying ladies in closing
up saloons, and are now open to engagements.