The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1875-11-19

ALBANY, \. Y, Nov. 18th, 70.

MEssRs. EDITORS Tho regular
correspondent of your valuable and
interesting paper in this ancient
city being this week very much oc-
cupied with certain matters pertain
ing to that mystic sewing circle, Of
which he is president, executive
committee, and sole member, has
suggested to me that my unpractic~
ed hand should this time WELD the
pen, and that instead Of himself,
should supply the filling in of that
column OF the JOURNAL which is at
present usually devoted to news from
the land of the ckerbockers.
The regular correspondent has
given you a most interesting and
amusing account Of many Of the say
ings and doings of the inhabitants Of
this place, and Of various noted char
acter5 whom it has been his pleasure
to observe. Let me attempt the
ground work of the structure he has
reared, and tell you lchcre are are
and what it is like. BY il | mean
Albany, the second city Of the State
Of New York in point Of age and the
first as regards many elements of
importance which 20 far to corsti-
tute a city Of the political and judic-
ial eminence which it SO justly as
sumes.
Being the capitol of the State, it
would naturally contain many ad-
vantages which cities much its SUI
perior in point of size are deficient
in. Here are many of the State
buiIdings-the less said about them
the better for at present they do not
reflect much credit on the Empire
State of the North. Here also are
the State museums, geological, agri-
cultural and the museum of natural
history. In this last is found the
skeleton of member of an extinct
race Of animals, which is SO remark
able and interesting that think it
will warrant more than mere pass
ing mention. allude to the skele>
ton of the mastodon dug up at the
town of Cohoes in this county, some
years ago, while workmen were eX
cavating for the foundations of one
of the many factories Of that place.
cannot attempt to give any accu-
rate description of this immense
mass of bones. 1t has to be seen to
be appreciated. | can only say that
as now set up it stands fifteen and a
half feet high at the shoulders and
that walked under it with perfect
ease,
The State Library which is found
here in a wing of the present capt
tol is one Of the finest in this country
and by provision in the statutes of
the State is open to every one at all
times during the day. The law de
pattment of this library is certainly
the equal Of any in this country and
is usually considered to be the best.
1t numbers over Fifty thousand vol
umos and is complete in its way,
that is so far as the wants of ordi>
nary lawyers go.
But to retnrn to the city of Al
bany, considered as a whole, its pops
uIation numbers about one hundred
thousand and | should imagine they
were of every nationality under the
sun, for the variety Of faces you
meet On the street is remarkable.
Albany is built on a site which
bears a very striking similarity to
that Of old Rome only instead of oc
cupying seven hills 1t at present
has only stretched over five. The
Others are here though, ready to
take their place should any increase
in the size of the city render it nee
esSary.
As regards the architectural beau
| ties of this place there is not much
70 be said at present Bat some
time before 1900 A. d., the Alban>
iaus can point with pride to their
then completed capito! and with jus
tice say "There is nothing like it
under the SUM-" The same might
be said as to the present one, but
the phrase should be construed in
different sense. The new capitol
ON which nine hundred workmen are
busily engaged in lay ing its white
grauite walls to most magnificent
structure and will be when complet
ed the finest building in America
and but very little inferior to any on
the globe To give a full descrip-
ton of this even now imposing edi
| flee would make this communication
too long and | will therefore reserve
it till some future day when | may
again trespass on your space.
Hoping the JOURNAL may contin>
ne to flo@rish as it we'll deserves, |
am, Yours, etc, VAN.
Nh CoD op1 Misc Eth wnreI