WISCONSIN STATE INSTITUTIONS.

THE STATE CAPITOL.

On October 27, 1836, Hon. JAMES D. DOTY selected the site of the present State Capitol and grounds for a Capitol square. In December, 1836, the Territorial Legislature in session at Belmont, passed an act to establish the Capital at Madison, Wisconsin. The National Government appointed Messrs. JAMES D. DOTY, A. A. BIRD and JOHN F. O'NEIL as commissioners for constructing the Capitol, and on the 10th of June, 1837, acting-commissioner BIRD with thirty-six workmen arrived and began at once to get out stone and timber for the building. On the 4th July, 1837, the corner-stone was laid, with appropriate toasts and speeches. Iuring 1836 and 1837 the National Government appropriated $40,000 for the Capitol building; Dane county $4,000, and the Territorial Legislature about $16,000; as from all accounts the complete cost of the old Capitol was $60,000. The building when finished, was a substantial, comely structure, superior in style and convenience to the Capitols of adjacent and older States.

With the admission of Wisconsin into the Union as a State, in 1848, the Constitutional Convention then permanently located the Capital at Madison. The Capitol square is 914 feet square, cornering north, south, east and west, contains fourteen and four-tenths acres, and is situated on an elevation of at least fifty feet, commanding a view of the whole plat; of the Third and Fourth lakes and the surrounding country.

The warranty deed of the Capitol square was given to the Territory, in consideration of $1.00 received, and the benefits and advantages to be derived from the location, by STEVENS T. MASON, JULIA G. MASON and KUTZING PRICHETT of Detroit, and through their attorney, Moses M. STRONG. It is dated Mineral Point, 16th January 1839, and the square is described as section 13, 14, 23 and 24, in township 7, range 9 east. This interesting document is now on file in the office of the State Treasurer.

Some idea of the time the building was finished and its condition, when th legislature first assembled in it, is got from the informatory recollections of Colonel CHILDS, one of the early pioneers of the Territory. His statement is as follows:

"In June, 1833, the Territorial Legislature met at Burlington. We had a short session, from the 11th to the 25th of June. During the session we received news that Iowa had been separated from Wisconsin and formed into a distinct Territory, and we adjourned to meet at Madison in the autumn. "The Legislature met, for the first time, in Madison, on the 26th of November, 1838. The new capitol edifice was not yet in a suitable condition to receive the Legislature; so we had to assemble in the basement of the old Amercan House, where Governor DODGE delivered his first message at the new seat of Government. We adjourned from day to day, until we could get into the new Capitol building. At length we took possession of the new Assembly Hall. The floors were laid with green oak boards, full of ice; the walls of the room were iced over; green oak seats, and desks made of rough boards; one fire-place and one small stove. In a few days the flooring near the stove and fire-place so shrunk on account of the heat, that a person could run his hands between the boards. The basement story was all open, and JAMES MORRISON's large drove of hogs had taken possession; they were awfully poor, and it would have taken two of them, standing side by side, to have made a decent shadow on a bright day. We had a great many smart members in the House, and sometimes they spoke for Buncombe. When members of this ilk would become too tedious, I would take a long pole, go at the hogs and stir them up; when they would raise a young pandemonium for noise and confusion. The speaker's voice would become completely drowned, and he would be compelled to stop, not, however, without giving his squealing disturbers a sample of his swearing ability.

"The weather was cold; the halls were cold, our ink would freeze, everything froze-so when we could stand it no longer, we passed a joint resolution to adjourn for twenty days. I was appointed by the two houses to procure carpeting for both halls during the recess; I bought all I could find in the Terrirory, and brought it to Madison, and put it down after covering the floor with a thick coating of hay. After this, we were more comfortable. The American Hotel was the only public house in Madison, except that Mr. PECK kept a few boarders in his old log-house, which was still standing not long since. We used to have tall times in those days-times long to be remembered. Stealing was carried on in a small way. Occasionally a bill would be fair ly stolen through the Legislature; and the Territory would get gouged a little now and then."

It was during the progress of the building that the claim of Contractor BAXTER for additional compensation arose, and those familiar with the legislative halls, until the past year or two, when BAXTER died, will remember with what persistence the old man pressed his claim, and how at one session, and the last at which he appeared, he only lacked a few votes of success.

There are many scenes and associations connected with the old Capitol building and some of them should be mentioned in its history. In the Council Chamber on February 11th, 1842, CHARLES C. P. ARNDT, councilor from Brown county was shot and instantly killed by JAMES R.VINEYARD, councilor from Grant county. In 1854 the impeachment trial and acquittal of Judge HUBBELL was witnessed in the Senate Chamber, and in January, 1856, the grand inauguration of Governor BARSTOW and the subsequent proceedings in the Supreme Court by which Governor BASHFORD was sworn in as Governor, drew pleased and excited crowds about the lobbies and chambers of the Capitol.

On March 3, 1857, the Legislature passed an act authorizing the enlargement of the State Capitol. By this act the Commissioners of School and

University Lands were directed to sell the ten sections of land appropriated by Congress "for the completion of Public Buildings," and apply the proceeds towards enlarging and improving the State Capitol. The State also appropriated $30,000 for the same object, and $50,000 was given by the city of Madison. The Governor and Secretary of State were made Commissioners for conducting the work, and operations began in the fall of 1857 on the selected plans of Messrs. DONNELL & KUTZBOCK, then architects living in Madison, but lately deceased. The building was continued from year to year, until the fall of 1869, when the dome was completed at a cost of $90, 828. 05, exclusive of architect's compensation. S. V. SHIPMAN, of Madison, was the architect of the dome, and Messrs. C. S. RANKIN & Co., of Cincinnati, built it. The total cost of the enlarged Capitol to the present time is $541, 447.93. In 1866, work in boring an artesian well near the south entrance of the Capitol was begun, but after going down 1,000 feet, at a cost of $8, 622.70, and finding no water, the work was reluctantly abandoned.

The present Capitol exhibts an attractive outside appearance, and is generally admired. The stone for its construction was supplied from quarries near Prairie du Chien and Madison. The inside is handsomely finished, and contains complete conveniences; although more are yet necessary. In the basement are the water closets; boiler room, from which the building receives heat; carpenter shops; book room; the roost of the war eagles, "Old Abe" and "Andy," and some committee rooms. On the upper floor, the four passages of which are neatly laid with squares of blue and white flag, are the Departments of the several State officers. In the north passage are the offices of the State Treasurer and School Land Commissioners; in the south passage the offices of the Superintendents of Public Property and of Public Instruction and the office of Attorney General; in the east passage the offices of the Governor and Secretary of State, and in the west passage those of the Adjutant General, legislative clerks and State Agricultural Society, the last of which contains some fine specimens of minerals and other scientific curiosities. From the centre of these passages the Rotunda and Dome are seen to great advantage. The second floor is reached by wide iron stairways, ascending from the south and north passages. This floor is diversely laid with red, yellow and black tiles, and in the centre a heavy iron balustrade marks the Rotunda. In the east is the Senate Chamber; in the west, the Assembly Chamber; in the north, the Supreme Court Rooms and State Library, and in the south, the choicely filled rooms of the State Historical Society. The first purchase of books for the State Library was made in 1837, and it has received additions since, which make it very complete and valuable. The Historical Society rooms, always attractive to visitors, present an array of books, pictures, sculpture and literary and other curiosities which are not only interesting and suggestive to Badgers, but to residents of other States. In one of these rooms, the torn and pierced flags carried by Wisconsin regiments during the late war, are carefully preserved in a glass enclosure, and in another room is a rare collection of animal, mineral and vegetable curiosities belonging to Mr. ISAAC LYON, father of Judge LYON, of the Supreme Court, and the

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greatest delight of this courteous and scientific gentlemen is to give all visitors information concerning them.

The collections in these rooms have for years past been regarded as very creditable to the State and to Hon. LYMAN C. DRAPER, the patient and persevering originator of them, and to Mr. DURRIE, their skilled custodian; and since the Chicago fire destroyed the historical depository there, they can be recognized as the largest and most valuable in the Northwest.

More iron stairways lead to the galleries and committee rooms of the cham. bers, and yet more, but narrower ones, lead to the store room where the arms and munitions of the State are kept and to the Tholus; from which topmost elevation an impressive downward view of the whole Rotunda is obtained. The outside of the Tholus affords convenience for enjoying an exceedingly fine view of the city, lakes and surrounding country.

The height of the Capitol from the basement to the gold gilt eagle on the top of the flag-staff is 225 feet and six inches, and exclusive of steps and porticos, the total length of the north and south wings is 228 feet, and of the east and west wings, 226 feet.

Some impressive scenes have been witnessed in this Capiotl during the war, when the Legislature was acting on war measures, and also when the veteran soldiers, on their return, were welcomed with song and feasting in the chambers.

As characteristic of the vim and energy of the residents of Wisconsin, it must be stated that the Capitol building progressed and heavy expenditures were made on it, while they were sharply pressed to raise their share of men and means for the war.

The Capitol is surrounded with walks, greenswards, shrubbery and trees, which are carefully kept in good condition, and these, with the pearly white building rising in their midst, elicit the general expression that Wisconsin has a choicely located and elegant Capitol.