The New Student's Reference Work/Indianapolis

Indianap′olis, the capital and largest city of Indiana, is situated on the west fork of White River, on a level plain near the center of the state, 185 miles from Chicago.  It is a regularly built and beautiful city, with a handsome state-house and other public institutions.  Its annual expenditure for public schools is in the neighborhood of $700,000, and the value of its public school property is close upon $2,500,000.  There are seven parks.  Indianapolis is one of the chief railroad centers, 15 lines centering here.  The trade in agricultural products is very considerable; milling and pork-packing are the leading industries, and its stock-yards cover 100 acres.  The site was chosen in 1820, when the plain was covered with a dense forest.  It has large grain-elevators and flouring-mills; and its manufacturing establishments, which include extensive rolling-mills, meat-packing establishments, iron works, foundries and machine-shops, carriage-works, cotton and woolen mills etc., employ over 20,000 hands.  Population 233,650.