The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-06-14
Tine New Texan Capitol.
he London Morning Post, May "a.

From the Lo1don Morning Post May "a
Gable sdvices from America announce
the completion and official acceptanot oy
the Texas state authorities of the mag.
nifcent new capitol, which has beeA ia
process of erection at Austin durinb the
past five years. The Inauguration oare"
monies and festivities occupied the whole
of last week, and were attended b. an
enormous concourse of spectators, il ,
GLIDING many distinguished persorages
specially invited by the governor OF Texas,
and coming from all parts OF the U&ited
States. The celebration has been OF q hugh
ly imposing character and the new L exam
capitol is described as one of the tuest
public edifces in the world. 1t Is bu , OF
a beautiful red granite, obtained trt 'A
mountain quarry seventy miles distant
from the city Of Austin. The architecture
is Doric, the edifice being IN the torn OF
a Greek cross, with rotunda and dome
in the center. The capitol is 562 feet
long by 2S7 feet wide, and the sta IL
Illuminated by elecric light, which crowns
the colossal Statue of Liberty On the s7m-
nit of the dome is 376 feet above the
level of the ground SURPRISING N
height any other public building
in America. Indeed, with the sole exGep-
ton of the national capitol at Washing
ton, the state house at Austin occupies the
foremost rank amongst similar edldoes
in the United States. The history OF tae
new capitol is somewhat curious. Lhe'
original contract for its construction en-
ten ed into by the state provided thai the
cost of the building should be defrl ed
by a concession of land in the northHs t.
ern part of the state, known as
the "Panhandle" of Texas, comrris-
ing 3,OOO,O 900 acres, including nine entire
| counties, and extending over a region
| 200 miles long and % miles wide. This
enormous estate is now in the possesslou OF
an English company, which has suppl, Q
large portion of the money expended IN
the construction of the new capitol, the
total outlay amounting to about e1,O3O,'
600. This grant has caused some discog-
tent inTexas and the state authoritie5
have been recently severely criticized by
the local press for having given consid-
Grafton vastly more valuable than the
sum expended in building the capitol
Texas can afford, however, to be gener.
ous, as her present condition is more -four
ishing than at any preceding period of hts
history. Last year the state construcyoi
no less than 1,4OO miles of railway, il
itself significant indication of groWlng
population and prosperity, and Texas is
now receiving larger number of Euro.
pean emigrants than any other state of
the Union. The fares derived from
railway passengers amounted lest
year to nearly $6,000,000, Wills
the gross traffic receipts were
in excess of $29,OOO,OOO. 1t IS also worthy
of note that the state of Texas is doing
more than any of her sister states to g-
mote popular education, and in his
respect the future of her children is as
sured, 100000 acres of the public lands
having been set aside to form an educa-
ton fund, the proceeds of the sales being
invested for that exclusive purpose. The
cash in hand belonging TO the permanent
school fund at the issue of the last of6c ]
report amounted to $4,166,3S9, whilst 1p-
wards of 100000 acres of land still re-,
| mainei to the fund.