Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-12-28
KANSAS SLETTER.

LAWRENCE, KAN, Dec. 10, 1882.
Since last wrote 10 the NORTHWEST we
have been having some OF the most delight
ful weather that it has ever been my lot 10
experience. There has been plenty rain
to serve the crops, but not enough 20 fur
nish a winter supply for stock, should it
freeze up and stay frozen for any great
length of time. About the Sth there was
sudden change e0fweather and the morning
Of that date the thermometers registered
from to IA degrees below zero, according
to location. But by the tenth 1t was
again beautiful weather, not cold, and not
too warm. II sueh winter weather and
such winter roads could be had in the
Maumee Valley it would be worth thous-
ands of dollars to the people living there.
To-day the University closed for the
holidays, and the five, hundred students
are scattering themselves all over the State.
The vacation will continue 'lill January
Sd, and will DO fully appreciated by the
| weary students and by the hard-worked
| ly busy all this year, owing to there being
much larger attendance than In any
previous year, so that many OF the classes
are crowded. This school is rapidly gain
| ing the reputation OF being the best in the
west, and it well deserves this name, for
go where you will, it would be hard to
| find a moro earnest set OF students or IA
more competent faculty than here. Sew
| eral ofthe professors have reputation al
most national, especially Prof Snow, who
is known as q scientist the world over. 1t
is my opinion that when the University
! Of Kansas is MS old as some other colleges,
| It will not be inferior to them, either In
reputation, or in number of students at
tending.
About month ago was in Topeka and
was we'll pleased with both the situation
and appearance OF tho capital of Kansas.
IL is n ueautifui city of about thifiy thous-
and people and promises to be the largest
city between Kansas City and Denver;
The streets are very wide, well paved ana
! lined OH either side with fine buildings.
do not remember of ever having been In a
place where so many new buildings were
in the process OF construction as In Topeka.
The United States Government is putting
up a splendid PostofIice building and Gus
tom House, which will be soon completed.
The State House is yet incomplete, and it
will take eight years OF steady work to
finish il from the point where it now is.
When completed it will be one OF thief finest
state capitals in the country. 1t is to be
in the form ofa cross with equal arms, two
of which are now nearly done. The new
House of Representatives Is magnificent
room, finished off in many different colored
marbles, and very finely frescoed with
beautiful paintings and portraits of men
eminent in the annals OF Kansas. One of
the attractions OF the building is the Goss
Ornithological Collection, of which wrote
to the NORTHWEST something more than
year ago. 1t has been given rs a free
gift to the State by its owner and collector,
Col. MS. Goss, with the promises that it
shall forever GEAR his name and that he
shall be custodian during life. He is con-
Estantly adding to it, having spent this last
| summer in California, and now being in
Central America engaged in securing spec
linens. 1t is royal gift, collection not
halfas large sold for twenty thousand dol
lars not long ago. have forgotten the
number of different specimens, but the
lnumberof different species is now in the
neighborhood OF five hundred. The foun-
dations for one OF the wings of the capitol
yet to be erected, are almost laid, and the
excavation is begun tor the other. The
foundation looks as though it was designed
! to out last time, so massive and solid doesit
appear. Kansas is bound to be ahead in
its capitol building, as well as In some
other things. The new Governor will be
inaugurated the first day os January, and
for the next two years Kansas will have
her first Democratic Governor and the Re
publicans claim he will be the last, but
there is no telling, sometimes newspapers
tell things that are not true, not emuiating
the uniform truthfullness Of the average
Democratic paper r 800 @. L.. e..
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