The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-05-05
THE COST OF FITTING UP THE STATE
HOUSE. -.

HUUSE. .-'
A. P, the correspondent of the
New York Sun, furnishes to that
paper some information concerning
the cost Of fitting up tho State House
in Columbia: ...
II seems that when the job was
first put up to'saddle the cost Of this
extravagant furniture upon the pco-
pie, it was intended to contine it sim
ply to the Assembly Chamber which,
by the way, was in rather q dilapida-
ted condition. Speaker Moses took
the thing in hand, and gave an order
i'm writing to Dennis to contract for
the furniture, at the same. time en-
joining upon him the necessity OF
strict economy and q wholesome re-
card for the then impoverished con-
dition of the people. In upholstery,
Dennis is an artist. or at least he
thinks, he is, and he didn't propose
10 throw away his talent upon the
mere decoration Of an Assembly
Chamber. He resolved to furnish the
whole State House, and for this pur,
pose he went to New York to consult
his brother artists, Mcssrs. Nicol 4
Davidson. The latter firm were not
avcrso to the little JOB, and Of course
they did their best to secure it.
Stewart 4 Sutpben. of Brooklyn, also
had u finger in the pie, and furnished
carpets enough It 50 so yard to fit
ont every private house in Colum'
bia.
In course Of time, the furniture and
upholstery arrived, and was put in
the State House. l went all over the
building a few days ago, and was ena.
bled to Judge for myself Of the value
of the articles. A plain clock with a
carved walnut frame, that Benedict
would put up for about 500, is
charged on Nicol & Davidson's bill
at S4S5 The clock has not run but
few hours since it was placed over
the door of the library Of the rotunda,
Another clock of the same kind haugs
in the Assembly Chamber. 1t cost
s475 - worth about SIS.
There are about twenty small
rooms in the State House, known as
committee rooms. These are never
used except as loafing places for negro
members, or as convenient retreating
whicht to enjoy 4 little game Of draw
at odd times while The Legislature Is
in session. Into cach Of these little
rooms, General Dennis put hand
somo. carpet, a black walnut table
covered with green cloth, (very con-
venient for pokcr,) and walnut chairs
by the dozen. Hopurchased for each
of these rooms a large German (not
French) plate mirror, with cheap wal
nut framo. Nicol & Davidson charge
on the bill 1855 each for these mir,
rors. What.the per cent. on them is
of course, no one can tell, but it is
that they are not worth half the
mrney.
So certain is Gov. Scott that there
is fraud in the purchase of these II ir-
rors, that he will not allow them to be
unpacked, and says they shall not he
placed in the rooms. He has ordered
Dennis TO send them back to New
York..
In tho Assembly room we have a
central chandelier, invoioed by n. q
D. ut $4,000. 1t is a gilt chandelier,
with lGO burners, but exceedingly
plain. $1,000 would be very high
price for it any where in New York.
Mr.. Speaker Moses sits in front of u
crimson silk curtain, furnished by
Stewart Sutphen, Of Brooklyn, at ST.
365, and under gilt cornicc bearing
the palmetto tree and coat Of arms
put up by Nicol & Davidson for 1865
but the grossvst swindle, and one
that excites more commenNand indis:
nation here than any other part OF
the whole bill, is that of the "cospa,
dors,' or jar spittoons. They are OF
French china, handsomely enameled,
and marked in gilt, Blouse Of Rep,
resentatives, South Carolina" They
were invoiced by Nicol g. Davidson at
SOC a dozen, and there arc about ten
dozen of them.
Gov. Scott says: "They (thc Gus
padors) are 80 thick in there (tbc
House) that the negroes that wear
No. l4's can't put their feet on tho
floor wlthou crushing one or two oi
atoms" 1t is Sc; there have been
nearly broken already in that way.
OF course, in Legislature like South
Cardinals it is necessary for the
health and convenience Of all that a. :
lutions should be frequent. Gen. Den.
mis- kindly afforded the necessary ia,
cilities in elegant china enameled
toilets sets, at s65 each. Each CON-
mitteo Cor pokerN room has one
But have neither time nor space to
devote to q moro particular cnumera-
ton of the articles in this huge swim
die. I have given the prominent
ones, and that is enough to Judge by
The whole bill amounts to s92,5OO,
and it is safe to say that fully one-hali
Of it is q fraud. 49,