Omaha daily bee., 1884-04-07
CITY Walks AND 7ALKS.

CITY Walks AND TALKS.
How did Capitol hill gets it's name,'
asked a newcomer of an old-timer. "The old
territorial capitol was located on the hill" re-
Piled the old-timer, where the high school
now stands. 1t was built at q cost of $780,
600, and was finished in 1857. The fourth
session of the territorial legislature was held
were held in a brick building called the state
house, on Ninth street, opposite the present
Union Pacific headquarters. The state house
had been built by the Omaha Ferry company
in anticipation of Omaha being the capital. 1t
was torn down many years ago. Previous to
its being demolished, however, it was occupied
for a short time as headquarters of the Union
Pacific. The capitol building was located on
the hill by Jas. G. Mitchell, of Florence, who
was quite a prominent man in the early days.
He had been an exceedingly bitter enemy of
Omaha in the fight for the capital during the
first session of the legislature. Towards the
close of the fight he was induced to abate his
hostility, for which he was well paid. Mitch
ellis influence was sufficient to sett g the CAPT
tai contest either in favor of or against Omaha.
According to agreement, he was appointed
the sole commissioner to locate the capitol
building within ZONE portion of the city. The
northern boundary of Douglas county-which
then embraced an extent OF territory reaching
from o ravint on the north side of the city
south to the Platte river and west to the Elk
horn-was extended by proclamation of the
governor, so as to take in the whole of Scrip
Town, in order to give Mitchell plenty of
room.'' "What was Scrip TOWN." asked the
BEES Man About Town. "Scrip Town
had been laid out by the owners
of the original town site of Omaha,
as a sort of precautionary measure
as they called it." continued the old-timer.
Scrip Town was about half a mile wide, and
adjoined the north and west sides of Omaha.
The stock was used to buy up members of the
legislature. There was q pile of that scrip
used, 1 can assure you. Well to return to my
old friend Mitchell, who climbed the golden
stairs many years ago. When the vote on the
capital question was about to be put in the
council, Mitchell explained, as others, with
the SAM. interest as himself, had gone back on
him, it would now be every mar for himself,
and that he would therefore locate the capitol
building within the city limits of Omaha some
where on the line between the Clancy claim
and the Jeffrey claim. The line between
these two claims ran from the Sulphur Springs
back to the high ground. He was favorably
impressed, he said, with the location near Sui
phur Springs, and also with that of the high
ground further back, but he would not deter
mine the matter until further examination. A
short time afterwards, however, Mitchell stuck
his stake for the capitol building, on Capitol
hill, where it was afterwards built. In the
summer following, Mitchell advertised about
sixty lots in the city of Omaha for sale at auc-
ton, and the lots sold for about $50 each. /
would like to buy them for that now. OF
course it was always suspected that the pos
session of those lots wa the result
of Mitchell throwing his influence
in favor of Omaha. When Nebraska
Nuau admitted 90 n gtatp in 1877 IL waS nrn-
vided in the state constitution that the first
state legislature could locate the seat of gov
ernment. Governor Butler, the first elected
governor, called the legislature together at
Omaha on the 10TH of May, 1867. At that
session the capital was removed to Lincoln
without any opposition from the citizens of
Omaha. The city of Omaha then acquired
the title to Capitol square. as it had been do
mated to the territory for legislative purposes
only, it being provided that it should revert
to the donors in case it should be used for any
other purpose. The Legislature, in granting
Omaha's petition, made it conditional that the
ground should be used for school purposes.
The capital building was torn down, and the
high.school building was erected in its place
during the years 1870 II ~"
Speculation in futures must be on the
increase in Omaha" remarked a gentleman
who occasionally invests in corn and wheat.
"How's that?' he was asked. "Another com
mission house has been established here. 1t
was only a short time ago--not more than two
years ago-that a single commission house
would pay. Spectators used to deal with the
Chicago commission houses directly or
through the banks. These men are now
patronizing tho home houses People gem
orally know but little of the extent TO which
gambling in grain and stocks is carried on in
Omaha. L know u number of men who have
won and lost considerable money in
wheat, corn, pork, lard, aud railway
stocks. It's nothing but gambling. Sol far, as
in any game of chance as in margins. l know
men who have dropped a big bundle of money
on Wabash, and then tried to get even on
Missouri Pacific, or some other railway sto. ks,
but I've never heard of anybody who got
stuck ON Wabash ever playing even on any
othec stock, An acquaintance of mine, who
used to be a book keeper in Omaha, made
about 10000 speculating in railway stocks,
principally Chicago 4 o rthwestern. He was
a close calculator ON the markets, and gene
rally exercised very good judgment. He went
to New Yofk for q while, but is now
back again in Omaha. Whether he
dropped his winnings in Wall street in an ut.
tempt to make millions, l have not learned.
It was his intention to go into some kind of
businessin Omaha, but as he has not done SO
l half suspect that he dabbled in stocks once
too often. and is not SO well off now as he was
about two years ago. One man In Omaha last
year lost over 500, 900 in pork and lard. So
it goes; it's all a game of chance, The only
ones who have a sure thing are the commits
sion men. whose percentage Ia about the same
thing as the take oil in a poker game"
THAT'S a pretty strong hint" said a
young man to another as he pointed to a sign
in front of Saxe's drug store, in the opera
house building. Lets move on" The sign
referred to was, This front Is designed for
corner loafers." Every time a group of loafers
gathers at this corner SAKE quietly hangs out
this sign, and it requires but a law moments
to clear the Sidewalk. IL makes the loafers
nova on much sooner than any policeman
could do it. SAKE, however, has to hang out
the sign a great many times u day. He
says that his corner Is about the
worst place in town for ~loafors, who not only
s. land in front OF his door and block the
side walk, but sit in a row on the iron railing,
Notwithstanding the spikes, ana sun them !
selves like a lot of mud turtles OF a log. He