History of Springfield, Illinois, its attractions as a home and advantages for business, manufacturing, etc. Pub. under the auspices of the Springfield board of trade, by J. C. Power.

ITS ADVANTAGES FOR MANUFACTURING, 17
The first payment on this note was no man could be found, after the festival,
$500 interest, Sept. 22, 1838, exactly six that could tell who made the last speech.
months from date. Then there are a LAYING CORNER STONE OF THE FIRST
great number of credits, the last being STATE IIOUSE.
April 23, 1844. By the time it was paid, Soon after the adjournment of the
principal and interest amounted to nearly Legislature, the commissioners entered
$18,000. Between the date of this note
$18,000. Between the dati e of this note upon the discharge of their duties, and
and the time it was paid, the State Bank July 4, 1837, the corner stone was laid
of Illinois failed, and its affairs went into with grand civic and military demonstraliquidation. Some of the payments on tions. After the corner stde had been
the note were made in the depreciated lowered to its place in the wall, it was
paper of the Bank, for which it had re- mounted by E. D. Baker -afterwards
ceived par value when it was paid out. United States Senator, and the lamented
This has been charged against Spring- Colonel of Ball's Bluff memory-who defield as a breach of good faith. The livered one of the most thrilling and
charge is entirely unjust. If one business eloquent speeches, for which he was so
man owes another money, and the crcdi- famous. It was estimated that the buildtor fails, it is considered both morally ing would cost $130,000, but $240,000
and legally right for the debtor to pay was expended before it was completed
the creditor in his own paper, although according to the original design. Deit may be worthless in commercial trans- ducting the $50,000 paid by Springfield,
actions. Many of the men whose names leaves $190,000 as the cost of that buildwere on the note, doubtless lost money ing to the State.
by the failure of the bank, and it was When the State House was completed,
no more than right that they should save it was looked upon with wonder and adthemselves as far as possible in this trans- miration by the people, who regarded it
action; so I submit that the pledges of
as a model of architectural beauty. It
Springfield and Sangamon county were is built of lime stone, which is composed
as faithfully redeemed as if all had been almost entirely of fossils. It was taken
almost entirely of fossils. It was taken
paid in gold. from a quarry seven or eight miles south
PUBLIC FESTIVAL. of Springfield, and hauled by ox teams
Early in 1837 a public festival was held to the place selected for the building.
in Springfield, in honor of the legislation The size of the edifice was thought to be
for the removal of the Capital. Toasts so enormous that it would answer the
and speeches followed the dinner. Among purposes of the State for all time to come.
many others, I find the following, by It was, for the time, really a commodious
Abraham Lincoln, Esq.: and handsome building, but now it will
"All our Friends-They are too nu- make a very moderate Court House for
merous to mention now, individually, Sangamon county. From the time the
while there is no one of them who is not State House was built here, until the
too dear to be forgotten or neglected." breaking out of the great rebellion, the
Immediately following this was one by growth of Illinois was beyond anything
S. A. Douglas, Esq. that the early settlers could have imaS. A. Douglas, Esq.
"The last Winter's Legislation-May gined.
its results prove no less beneficial to the BUILDING THE LELAND HOTEL.
whole State than they have to our town." Springfield, as the Capital, had not
There is a tradition here that sonle- grown in anything like its due proporthing stronger than water was used in tion to the State, but during the rebeldrinking the toasts oA that occasion, as lion its growth was more rapid. At the