THE STATE OFFICERS. 65 



supplied me with documents showing the valuation and taxation 

 of the state ; and the Treasurer, who locks up the money and 

 disburses it exactly like the clerk in a bank, for which he is 

 paid a salary of 4007. a year, explained to me the rate of taxa- 

 tion in the State, the desire they all had to pay off their debt, 

 the present increased rate to which they submitted for that ob- 

 ject, the probability of a future decrease in the expense, and the 

 general frugality of the management. There is a total absence 

 of form and ceremony about these gentlemen, who are high officers 

 of state. The Secretary of State acts also as librarian. He 

 and his clerk conduct the public correspondence and business. 

 While I was there a man, about thirty, with his hat on and his 

 hands in his pockets, came lounging in, and, after listening to 

 our conversation for a while, asked if this was the Secretary, be- 

 cause he wanted to get some information about an old county 

 road of which no record could be found in his county, but which 

 he " reckoned " would be posted up at the capital in the books 

 of the State. The Secretary immediately went off to " fix " 

 him about the road. In the same way the Auditor was at 

 everybody's call, and the Treasurer also. The officers of State 

 are not above doing their own work here. 



If there is not much official ceremony, there is a total ab- 

 sence of it in the manners of the bulk of the people. The nasty 

 habit of chewing tobacco, and spitting, not only gives them a 

 dirty look, but makes them disagreeable companions. They 

 eat so fast, and are so silent, and run off so soon when they 

 have finished their meals, that really eating in this country is 

 more like the feeding of a parcel of brutes than men. The 

 food is both various and plentiful, but it is generally badly 

 cooked and served. 



Violent thunderstorms are not infrequent. Every house on 

 the prairie is fitted with a lightning conductor, but I did not 

 hear that accidents from lightning were very common. 



