The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-09-18
TODD'S TRAVELS.
ALBANY, N. Y, Sept. 8, 1890.

| have ruthlessly decided to inlet
communication upon your readers. |
am we'll aware of the well-nigh I'M
pardonable character of the otfense,
still, with IN abiding faith in the char
ity of your patrons | shall let loose
without further ceremony.
| left St. Paul about a month ago
in the interest of two insurance COM
panics, my business being to visit the
insurance departments of the respect
i've states in which the companies wish
to do business, with view of securing
their admission. The first station on
the route WAS
COLUMBUS, OHIO.
This is an fashioned city with
$1,000 slow going, conservative, though
thrifty and wealthy people. The build
ings are quaint, the streets narrow and
poorly paved, mostly with cobble
stones, while brick seems to have been
the favorite material for sidewalks. 1t
is an inland city with no natural adj
vantages, but its extensive manufac-
turing interests and railroad facilities
caused it to grow from 5000 in 1880
to its present proportions. Then it is
the capital of the most distinguished
agricultural, political and presidential
state in tho Union; also the state in
which live the Big Four"-Sherman,
Butterworth, Mckinley aud Foster.
Foraker, Hayes and Thurman also live
there, but OF present they are mot in
it." The state house is one of the most
substantial structures ever witnessed,
though antiquated, grotesque, incon-
venient and inadequate. The second
and third stories constitute an enor-
nous dome which resembles "a revolv-
ing squirrel cage in perpendicular
position. Upon my arrival l found the
insurance commissioner absent for ten
days on private business with no one
in the office either authorized or COM
petent to transact business of the ma
ture of mine. Notwithstanding the
hardship and injustice of such a state
of things l had to wait in silence, and
suppress impudence as much as pos
sible until the commissioner arrived
When he did arrive he said he was ia
tigued from his journey and would
take up my case next day. Then after
my hearing next day he took another
day to consider the matter. This was
the first seat of government I had found
which was presided over by democrats
and l immediately wrote my client
companies that in making estimates
of the time l would De detained at 9th
er places on my route l must first as
certain whether was to encounter an
other democratic nest.
After a brief sojourn in the land Of
my nativity and wormy apples, in
Western New York, | came on to the
EMPIRE STATE CAPITAL.
Albany is city full of interest. Nc
matter the taste or the occupation, the
person does not live who could not
find much here to interest. The new
census gave the city, in round num-
bers, 100000, which was no gain to
speak of since the 1880 census. The
city is one of the oldest on the Ameri-
can continent and the evidences of an
tiquity are both numerous and striking
The historical Hudson makes a grace
full curve as it passes through the city
constituting the eastern boundary OF
city and county. Across the Hudson
is East Albany, in Rensalar county
The first street from the river, which IS
the principal business street, parallels
the river. 1t is very wide at the point
opposite the Central r. E. station but
nalrows up in either direction until it
is not more than twenty feet wide. To
give better idea, it is exactly the
shape of the new moon, and the price
Of property thereon is about as high.
| There is not a straight street in the
city and few that do not vary in width.
Som: run on a circle, while others are
sleeper than the road to North Red
wood. State" street is $50 feet wide
while many others are SO narrow that
one team passes another with difficult
ty. The latter are nothing but alleys,
yet they are dignifed by the ncme of
Avenue" and some of the most inn
portant business houses are found on
them. maiden Lane" is only 20 feet
wide, yet the greatest thoroughfare fer
pedestrians in the city. On marble
slab in the side of brick building on
Broadway is the following:
"The Declaration of Independence
was first publicly read i'll Albany by
order of the Committee on Safety, July
10, 1776, in front of the City Hall, then
on this site. This memorial of the event
was placed here by the citizens July
4, 1876"
Many of these slabs are found about
the city whose inscriptions are terse
but interesting history. There are
manufactures which send their pro
ducts all over the United States, anC
some of the iron foundries are said te
be the largest in the world. Business
Of every kind seems to be dull here, Al
least nothing is pushed in accordance
with We:tern PERSONS idea of thai
term. There is untold wealth but the
property holders are made to groal
aloud by burdensome taxation. 1t is
said that for every thousand dollars
worth of property the owner. pay 81:
in taxes. This does not include the
tax on personal property. The owner
of very massive business building
eight stories high, in the heart of tho
city told me that after paying taxes
insurance and other expenses there
was only per cent left on his invest
ment.
The state capitol is the most massive
pile of marble and mortar that eve
saw. It has cost
SEVENTEEN MILLION DOLLARS
and is not finished yet. It has COS
more money than any other five state
hocsos in the United States and it il
claimed that three millions more will
be required to complete it. But Their
is not this value in the building. Man,
responsible contractors have said the,
would like the job of duplicating thu
structure for ten millions, and tina
they could retire from business on tn
profits at that figure. The inception
and construction of the edifice was sur