The New Student's Reference Work/Columbus

Columbus, the capital of Ohio, is situated on the Scioto River, a little south of the center of the state.  It is a city of broad streets and large parks.  The fine capitol and the United States and board-of-trade buildings are among its main structures.  It contains an insane hospital, state penitentiary and asylums for the blind and deaf and dumb.  There are 38 public-school buildings, four of them high-schools, and they have more than 20,000 pupils.  Among the higher institutions are Capital City University, Ohio State University and St. Mary’s Academy.  Besides, there are three medical colleges, a dental college and five public hospitals.  There are several parks and 40 or more churches.  Natural gas is used for domestic purposes, and there is an unlimited supply of bituminous coal near the city.  Columbus is an important manufacturing city, possessing steel-plants, blast-furnaces and malleable-iron works, and making cash-registers, agricultural implements, automobiles, all varieties of vehicles and shoes, gloves and clothing.  Its public buildings in number and cost are not excelled by any city of the country, except Washington.  Columbus was laid out in 1812 and incorporated in 1834.  It has been the state capital since 1816.  Eighteen railroads and its nearness to the Ohio coal- and iron-fields have done much to increase the growth of the place Population. 181,511.