Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-01-05

ture, tho centre DullOlnS, engine
house and the whole north wing
would have been completed, fur
nished and occupied; the govern.
ment Of the institution organized in
full operation and one hundred and
fifty patients receiving much need
cd treatment and attention.
The Commissioners devote con.
siderable space to the discussion Of
the subject of material employed in
the construction Of the Hospital
They say that if they had been in
vested with the discretion con.
ferred upon the Commissioners OF
the Mt. Pleasant Hospital, to build
of stone or brick, they might have
constructed a building of brick at a
cost of 100000 or 100000 less
than the present stone structure
Required by act of the Legislature
to construct the building of stone,
they have sought to use only such
kinds as give promise Of the great
est durability. Regarding the ma
terial used in tho foundation, the
report says:
"The Commissioners discovered that
the granite boulders, "prairie granite,
as they are called, scattered around sc
abundantly in the neighborhood of In
dependence, could be readily wrought
into blocks of suitable dimensions fol
building, and delivered at the Hospital
at an expense not much greater than the
cost of stone from the Farley or Ana
mosa quarries; indeed, the contractor
Mr., Armstrong, agreed to furnish them
at the same price. The Commissioners
therefore, determined to construct Of
granite the foundation and the walls Of
the basement story of the whole building
1t is, perhaps, superfluous to say that the
foundations and basement walls are the
parts of the building most exposed to the
ravages of time and the destructive
agencies of the climate; in these parts
are needed the most imperishable ma
terials"
The superstructure above the
basement is built of magnetism
limestone, which is estimated to be,
next to granite and marble, the
most durable stone used in archi'
lecture. The report cites several
instances illustrating its indestruct-
able character. The stone from the
Anamosa and Farley quarries, OF
which the Hospital is built, is OF
this character, and, as the Commits
sioners aver, nearly indentical with
the composition of the stone OF
Southwell Church, Nottingham
shire, England, Westminster Hall
and the House Of Parliament, the
first of which has stood a thousand
years and is in perfect condition
This part of the report closes with
the following words:
1.-THE Commissioners entertain the be
lief that when this Hospital is completed
according to the plans adopted, and Of
the materials selected, Iowa will have an
institution of charity that will transmit
the renown for philanthropy and public
spirit, Of the Legislature of the State and
of your Excellency's administration, tc
the remotest generations.
The Commissioners say that from
the estimates of Mr.. Josslyn, it is
evident that this Hospital will cost
a much greater sum than that al
Mt. Pleasant, but deem the fact. ca
pable of satisfactory explanation
LIST, For the reason that the stone
for the Mt. Pleasant Hospital were
procured in the vicinity Of the
building, while Independence is 4d
and IS miles from the quarries,
which distance the stone has to be
transported by rail and then hauled
by teams more than two miles, to
the building; End, The cost of all
building materials has greatly adj
vanced; on many articles more than
double that Of ten years ago; Sd,
The still greater advance in the
wages of labor, the principal item
of cost. The average advance in
the wages of laborers, blacksmiths,
carpenters, stone-masons, stone-cut-
tiers and brick-layes, is $50 per
cent. since 1869. 4th, The ineffi-
cheney of labor as compared with
the earlier period.
The report is signed by Maturin
L. Fisher, Erastus G. Morgan and
Geo. w. Bemis, Commissioners,
and is dated Dec. LIST, 1871.
Accompanying the report of the
Commissioners is that of Hon. Geo.
w. Bemis, as Treasurer of the
Board, giving an itemized account
of the moneys received and expend-
cd from May 5th, 1870, to Dec. LIST,
1871, and also general statement
of the receipts and disbursements
from the commencement Of the
work to Dec. lst, 1871. The latter
we give below:
STATEMENT fNe Receipts and Disbu,sen,ents
Of the Commissioners Of The Ic,ca HoipisM for the
insane. at dndepende"cs Iro g the commencement Of
On the 1st OF Dec, 1869 the Commits
sioners reported the whole amount
that had been expended to that date,
Of The appropriation Of $1s5, 900. made
by the 18th Gen'l Assembly at.... s 35,774, 90
From Dec, 1st 1869 to May lat 1870
there was expended Of the appropna.
Paid David Armstrong, contractor,
on estimates of the Superintendent. 7,0O0,s1
Paid Geo. Joselyp, Supt. ......... 7l7,5O
Commissioner per diem and
expenses ................... A5,65
Total expended to May list $780,. s43 9ss, s6
Leaving balance of the appropriation unex-
pended OF IS, O61, a.
We subsequently found, upon examination ofthe
books in the Office of the Auditor OF State that
the per diem and expenses OF the Commissioners
to May 1st 1870, amounting to $45s4,3s, had been
paid out Of the "General Fund, !" leaving ON hand