The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-10-19
A SANDSTONE PRESIDENT.
How Grant became Stockholder in the
Seneca Quarry.

WAslIINGroN. ID. G.. Sept 80 l.


Three years ago j. L. Kidwell of this
city made the discovery that he had some
valuable stone qlarries on land which he
owned in this vicinity. lie proceeded nj
once to organize company. known as
the Seneca Buildin@ Stone Association,
with Il view to have this material intro
duced in the various public buildings and
works of Washington. kidwell's polti-
cal antecedents, however, We're Of such
IN obiectional character, and his sympa-
thies with the Lost Cause had been so
onenly avowed. that he met with no en-
couragement on the part of the authori-
ties, and all the orders received by his
company for the products of the Seneca
quarries came from old private citizens
and sccessionists of Washington and vicin-
ity.
kidwclI is Il shrewd man, and it did
not take him long to find out that under
the present Administration he must offer
some other inducement than would mere
ly benefit the public, before he could
touch the sympathies or awaken the inter
ests Of those having authority. So he in
creased the stock, which was originally
marked At $500, 900 to 500, 900, and pro-
cceded to distribute the same iudiciously
among the different members of the Adj
ministration.
This new departure Disguised n largo
number of Washington business men.
who We're willing to subscribe to stock in
this company 50 LONG as il was u legiti-
mate enterprise, and they withdrew their
names from the concern altogether. They
argued that such 4 bare-laced attempt to
interest Government officials in the COM
panv would overreach itself, and that the
fraud would be 50 potent that no official
would dare to order any Of this Seneca
stone to be used in public work OF any
kind But klwell had faith in his plan,
and has continued it in the face of all OPP
position. Mullet the Government archi-
tect. has held ont against all blandish-
ment until this summer. when, either
through want Of influence or positive con-
nivance, he has allowed Seneca stone to
be used in all directions.
The governmental stockholders, as they
now stand on the books, with the amount
Of stock credited to their names, are rs
follows:
U. s. Grant President of the United
States, 50 900.
Horace Porter, private secretary to
i IGSlutHI, = lU,DtD.
Gen. +. I. Dent, assistant private see
retary to President, $4,000.
Gen. Michler, former Superintendent
of Public buildings, $4,000.
Gen. G.. i. Babcock, present Supcrin-
tendent of Public Buildings, $4,000.
IL. ID. Cooke, Governor District of CO.
lumba, $4,000
j. l.. kidwell, Sl3O,0 900.
Paymaster-General Brice, S14, 900.
Surgcon-General Barnes, Sl1, 900.
QuartcrnasterGencral Meigs, $4,000.
John w, Forney, $4,000.
Gen. Eaton, 81 900.
Nathaniel Wilson, 81 900.
Gen. Dent received his stock on the
day that Henry ID. Cooke received his ap-
pointment as Governor Of the District Of
Columbia. Gen. Babcock received his
about the time he was appointed as Stl-
pcrintcndent Of Public Buildings, vice
Gen. Milcher removed.
Since this governmental ring was Or
ganized, the Seneca quarries can hardly
yield fast enough to supply the demand.
The stone is used for everything. There
are two miles Of solid walls built of this
material around the Arlington Cemetery,
and it is used exclusively in all the nation
al cemeteries within convenient access Of
this point. The immense Freedmen's
Savings Bank, which has just been put
up in Pennsylvania avenue, north Of the
Treasury Department, is built of Seneca
stone. This is the building which is
hereafter to accommodate the Department
of justice, and several other Government
officials, at a rental of $4,000 per annum.
The foundations Of the new State Depart
ment building, now being erected in the
rear of the Navy Department, will be
built of this stone, in spite Of Architect
Mullett's earnest protest to the contrary,
he being of the opinion that it is too soft
for this purpose.
All the Improvements around the Treas
ury Department this summer have been
made with this stone; new walks laid
with it, and old ones ftorn up and re-
placed by it. Over at the Agricultural
Bureau it is also the favorite material for
all kinds of purposes. And up at Ethe
Capitol this summer it has been used in
immense quantities in the general i'm
provements made lin the grounds around
that locality. In some instances as in
street, whole thoroughfares have been
paved with it. AS the Seneca Building
Stone Association now stands, it is one Of
the most prosperous business institutions
in the country, and most fortunate are
they that own any of the stock.
The published proposals for work in
the national cemeteries, and other public
property, which are prepared by Quarter
master-General Megs, and signed by
him, require that Seneca stone and none
other shall be used.
A youth in Iowa who has turn for practical
joking recently tried to impose upon an honest
ager-beer vender by leading mule into his sa-
loon, and taking him up to the bar as if for a
drink. Mynheer looked steadily at the pair for
Il few moments as if collecting his stray wits,