Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-08-25
Communicated.
Old Fogy Answered-He is a Used uI
Man.

Mr.. CovER:-1he old man who
wrote for the Herald last week, and
signed as above, seems to think that
all the architectural form and build
ing ability are to be found at Chicago,
and none TO be found in Grant Coun~
ty, or even in the State. Now, let
il be known that he or the Board
will pay $4,000 or ha,f that, for
plans and drawings. with specifica-
tons, and he viii find that as good
work as will be needed shall be
forthcoming, by Wisconsin craftsmen
or even by Grant County artists.
The trouble is, it is the habit to pay
nothing for home talent and industry,
and pay dearly for what comes from
abroad. All the failures in Lancas-
ter buildings come from these facts
That plans were never drawn by
competent mechanics, because the
latter must be paid therefore, cost
less and worthless plans were adopt
ed and then by the '.l0,ceSt bidder
letting practice the very pooresS me
chanics-at least the most knavish
and greatest at sighting work, We're
employed 10 execute the worst work
according to the worst plans Such
was the practice as To one If not two
Court houses, two or three school
houses, and many Of the dwellings, and
store buildings in town--as the iron
rods. the props aud grapples, the
cracks in walls OF buildings still
standing testify Half the buildings
in Lancaster and more are a loss on
account Of poor and costess drafts
and poor but damnably expensive
mechanism.
Old Fogy bad better hang up his
fiddle ill the people are educated in
the school of still little more crack
and tumble down building experience
in Lancaster. He will then find that
by encouraging home building and
drafting industry and art it will pay,
and the same rule throughout the
country. All the villages are being
built.withont art or building talent,
and more than half the capital used
in building is loss, same as in Ian
caster.
| At Plattevjlle half the buildings
are a loss or will be in few years,
the visible result ofpoor because Ill
compensated homo mechanism-the
proprietors being too ignorant to
know and too small to hire good ar
tistic skill. And at Potosi the wrecks
OF fallen and tottering walls still more
establish these facts. Bosconel is on
the same road to abortion as q rule
there being but few exceptions. The
mechanics are quite free from blame
but there is a niggardly and dishon-
est sentiment among the people
which is to be blamed The people
have desired cheap work, The dura-
bility and last being hardly thought
OF. Mechanics are DESTROYS of pleas
ing and, except for our good name,
we are ready to erect cheap and
bungling work, the more so the better
because in five years our jobs will
fall down and then we shall be hired
to repeat the work ! 1t pays sir, il
! pays, W cfcHL IumDle GOWN WORK
it pays Other professions carry
on the same way, why not the me-
hanic Educate the people to see
t. know that only competent me-
chanics, proud Of their work anc
name, should be hired, and then your
houses will stand a century. Do no
paya premium to botches by allowing
them to compete for work, but go Il
: thorough mechanics and allow suci
only to be the competitors.
The practice is wrong because th,
people who want houses are ignoran
as to things, and refuse to be mad
wise only by such dear experience a
we have had
Lancaster, Aug. end, 1858. HOME INDUSTRY