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HISTORY OF MADISON.
               CHAPTER II.
          LOCATING THE CAPITAL.
  SETTLEMENT had made little progress when the ques-
tion arose, "where shall we fix our capital? " Suddenly,
from all parts of the territory, arose the voice of in-
domitable advocates, and when the first legislature
was convened at Belmont, there was a display of log-
rolling such as could hardly be excelled. Judge Doty,
who had traversed nearly the whole territory on
horseback or in his canoe, accoutred "' with his green
blanket and shot gun,19 might have been trusted to
make the selection, but for the fact, that he had
long since decided in his own mind, and had joined
with Gov. Mason of Michigan, in purchasing the site
occupied by this city for $1,500.  Fond du Lac,
Dubuque, in Iowa, which was part of our territory,
Portage, Belmont, Helena, IRachie, Milwaukee, Platte-
ville, Mineral Point, Cassville, Green Bay, Kosh-
konong, Belleview, Wisconsinapolis, Wisconsin City
and Peru, were all advocated with unscrupulous zeal,
and every one of the rival cities, many of which, like
Madison, lived only on paper, had anxious friends
who were ready to abandon their own chances for the
time, to unite on any of the others, only to defeat the
most dangerous competitor. Madison was, perhaps,
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