TUESDAY 26. Our goods arrived last night, but we could not get them then. They will send them to us today. It is raining and freezing all forenoon. settled with Mr. White--paid him $1.75 each--our freight & cartage cost 2.87. occupied our room in the P. M. In the Assembly at noon, the Personal Liberty repeal bill was under consideration but they were only voting on amend. &c. so we heard no speaking. It was passed in the Assembly.
WEDNESDAY 27. Went to the Capitol at noon the Assembly were taking the final votes on the amendment to the Banking Law. It finally passed with only five dissenting voices. Several of the students visited us today, and invited us to attend their Societies, of which there are two--the Hesperian and the Atheneum. There appears to be considerable rivalry between them. The meetings are on Friday evening. John will stay with us tonight and probably always after this.
THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1861. Bought 28 tickets for bread between us. Wrote a letter home describing our rooms &c. Went down town to the P. O. after 4. Nothing especial going on, but heard that the Legislature will hold an evening session.
Went to the Capitol in the evening. Assembly in Committee of the Whole, but soon had to rise on account of the noise and confusion, a number of private and local bills passed to a third reading and several of the same kind passed Bradford is going home tomorrow on a visit
FRIDAY 29. Saw the 2 wonderful clocks & the thermometer[12] this morning. Attended both Societies this evening--went first into the Atheneum--they were discussing the question, “that the mentality of the sexes are equal.” a spirited debate sprang up on a proposition to amend the question by inserting “mental power,” instead of, “mentality.” but it was lost. Heard Messrs. Norcross, Green & Salisbury[13] & another whose name I do not remember speak.
In the Hesperian they were discussing whether “the war of 1812 was justifiable on the part of the U. S.” it was decided in the aff. John’s name & mine were presented for admission.
SATURDAY 30. After breakfast, about 8½ O’Clock, Will[14] & I went across the lake to the Asylum. Had considerable trouble in getting across a large crack in the ice in the middle of the lake. On arriving on the shore found that the Asylum folks were making sugar. An Irishman whom we found there took us immediately to the engine rooms, and showed us the gas works,--(retort & meter), the engines, a large wheel with fans for driving air into the principal buildings, the large force pump worked by steam, the laundry rooms, took us through the underground passage which leads between the two buildings. Found Uncle T. in the billiard rooms where a crazy half breed & two others were playing. Uncle T. looks quite healthy & appears somewhat better in mind than when he left home. He took [us] all over the building--let [?] into the ward in which he is--there we saw about a dozen insane some sitting, some walking back & forth the length of the hall, one lying down full length upon the floor, & 2 curled up in the window; one was a man named Jones, who came from Racine Co. and had often been at U. G. He had sometime been injured by a thrashing machine & showed us a scar where one of his ribs had been taken out. One was a preacher’s son, named Hall, he would speak to no one. One had a violin which he commenced playing shortly after we came in, and kept it up all the while we were there.