Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 March 1860 — The New County of Newton and the County Seat. [ARTICLE]

The New County of Newton and the County Seat.

[From the State Journal.

Rensselaek, Feb. 27, 1860. Ed. Journal: Last Thursday, the 23d inst., the Commissioners appointed to locate the county seat, arrived in Newton county, accompanied by his Excellency, our worthy and disinterested Governor, who is always on hand when there is a penitentiary or a c unty seat to be located, prompted, doubtle ■ by the double object of sharing the many champagne suppers and other good things that are brought to bear upon the minds and stomachs of the Commissioners by the different contestants, and by the .ischarge ot his official duty. But, in regard to the first, I don’t think he fared as well in this instance as in some former operations, lor before they had got around to Rensselaer, which was the Sunday following their arrival, tiny had run out of good liquor, and his Excellency had to resort to prairie grass whisky. They have not, as yet, made known publicly the decision as to their location, but an intimate triend of the Governor, who seems to understand matters and things, says the location is fixed upon a point in the center of the county east and west, on the L. & P. Railroad. Believing him to be one that would be likely to know something about it, 1 was led to examine the records to find who the lucky individual would be who will own so valuable a piece of property, and found the quarter section designated in the name of Mrs. Caroline Wellard, whom I suppose to be some relation of the Governor. He only desires, of course, to advance her interest. But, as the county is forty miles long, north and south, and only twelve wide, east und west, and (he proposed location is within three miles of the extreme south line, it looks like sacrificing a large public interest to a small individual profit. L. D. VV.