The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-08-18

| ground ia the midst OF most fartil
prairie lands. The city is not yer,
comportly built, but shows Indication
OF continuous prosperity. There ar,
some very good business houses, aud
few commodious private residences
The Capitol building is one of whiel
the Nebraskians never boast. | should
think its architecture was of the com
posite order, as it seems to be com
posed OF all the other orders. 1t. how
ever, comfortably accommodates the
public business, and Nebraska is young
and can very well wait Il few years
until she is able to build Capitol which
will correspond with her future great
ness. L visited all the rooms in the
building, except the Legislative Halls,
and was pleased with their eomforta.
bic appearance, and gratified to make
the acquaintance of the Governor and
most of the State officers, whom ]
found, without an exception, to be
| S~A'' S'S'SA tllNt u
the interests of their new State.
The State University is located in
the city, and is rather an imposing
brick edifice. An Ohio educator, Prof.
Fairfield, has just taken charge of it,
as President, and was present at the
commencement exercises. which were
held at the time of my visit and |
heard him spoken of in the highest
terms. Ohio can not only furnish
Presidents and Governors and Scna-
tors, but College Presidents and Pro
fessOrs, and of the a. No. kind, too.
The penitentiary is located about
three miles from the city, in the valley
of Salt Creek. The building is of stone,
and just now an addition is being built
The ground is surrounded by a high
fence made of boards, with sentry
boxes about one hundred feet apart
| was told that at present there are
seventy-two conviets, eight of whom
are Indians, and two negroes | saw
among the lot five or six boys ranging
in age from fifteen to nineteen years,
all of whom the guide told us were
there for the crime of horse stealing.
TIE prison seems be kept in II neat,
orderly manner, and prisoners are
treated humanity, and provided with
good reading matter and the proper
amount of healthy exercise. The cul-
mary and sleeping apartments seemed
to be kept in the neatest manner.
The asylum for lunaties is located
about two miles from the peniteutiary,
aud about three miles from the city.
This is one of the most beautiful local
tiles | have ever seen The grounds
are well and regularly laid out, are
large and comnodious, and the build
ings are pleasing from without, and
are pleasant within. Every thing
seems to be done, and done well, for
the unfortunates who are here. Every
anu
used, to reclaim tie shattered bodies
and minds of the inmates. The views
from tie upper portions of the build
ing are beautiful beyond my powers Of
description. Nebraska may we'll be
proud of this institution.
Ii may seem strange that my visits
were first TO the Capitol, then peniien-
tiary, then lunatic asylum. l do not
want your readers to infer that the line
of promotion in Nebraska rams that
way, from Governor TO iunatic isy IuIn.
When rallied by some of our party on
the order in which visited the public
institutions, | replied that having first
waited upon the Governor | had as
sured myself of a pardon from the pen
itentiary, had the Warden been dis
posed to retain NE.
Some three or four miles from Lin
colu is salt pond, or lake, which
promises to be quite 1t source of income
to the State when properly worked.
An artesian well at the Public Square
in the city, is so hnpregnated with salt
and iron and nagnesia, ;ts to make the
water unfit for ordinary use, hnt is re
sorted to by invalidS. The country
around the Capital is being rapidly
settled up, and lands are increasing in
value. The Burlington and Missouri:
| River RR. las several thousand acres
of choice lands Tor DISPOSAL i'll this,
Uancaster) county. Perhaps there Is
no better opening for the investment
| of money in lands than there is now in
| Nebraska. Real estate cannot but
rapidly increase in value here, as the
| tide of emigration has set III in this
| direction, and the fertility of the soil,
the beauty of the country, the ready
| market for all kinds of produce, the
salubrity of the climate, and the splen-
did wafer, will at once arrest tile emi
grant who is in search of home. The
best OF water can be had any where
through this region by digging from
twenty To forty feet deep. Churches
and school houses are "a numerous as
the wants of the country demands.
The prairie land can be broken with a
team of two horses Coal is abundant.
Fires are not now needed. All kinds
of merchandise is "a cheup as further
East.
At Lincoln | met the two R!ckets
BOYS. 4. G.. and Meb, i'll the practice OF
the law, and they seemed to be pros
pering, and showed me many kind
ness..s. for which they lave my thanks.
| also met others there with whom
had a former acquaintance, and all
spoke in the highest terms OF this State
of their adoption, and all seemed pros
porous
| did not see a cemetery whilst in
Nebraska. l presume, however, they
have snch things there. unless they
practice cremation, and i heard moth
ing of that But 1 presume a pers Oh
will die in Nebraska, if they stay there
long enough, and yet am satisfied
that with such a country, so pure an
atmosphere, there cannot be much
j sickness, nor much need of medicine.
am not enthusiastic over this cOun-
try. and have 10 presens intention of
making it my home, yet | do say il is
the place for farmers of moderate
means to enigrate to. 4 home. aud a
good one, too, is 50 easily and chesply
obtained. But of this, more anon.
INDIAN AGENT.