, 1873-03-30
Experiences Of the People who Re-
built Chicago.
among The Architects.-- Their Petuliaritles
-.-HoW Contracts are Made.
The Plan, and How It Is Car
ried Out.
Interesting Facts About the Work of
Stone-Cutting.
The Pains, Perils, and Pleasures Of a
Building Enterprise.

The Pains, Perils, and Pleasures Of a
Building Enterprise.
Tho departure Of the City OF Chicago, during
the'ysar 1871, in h chariot Of fire. was an event
which not only the citizens Of tia devoted town,
but the whole OF the civilized world, appeared to
regard 40 au unparalleled disaster. The wiping
oct Of the 1hole OF tho material wealth of great
metropolis WaB indeed m event for which we as
community were unp1epared; and il the enor-
nifty Of the calamity WIS not brought homo to rs
at once, it was principally because ne lost our
homes simultaneously with our city.
There have not been wanting many to nlus
~rate the extraordinary gain to the city consc-
quont upon the fire. While many pulpits clearly
demonstrated that the fire Was consequence Of
the la1ity Of cur moral code, the daily papers
TINT it WAS the immediate result OF faulty con-
'etruction, and one obscure journal that the In
terratlonals we're responsible for it, the archi-
tectural and contracting fraternities have reapcd
en- abundant harvest. Property-owners have
gained by it. The site Of tho New Jerusalem
Church on Adams street has risen in value
greatly. very large number Of unspeakably
eocond-class boarding-houses on Wabash ave-
nue have given place to soma good mud substan-
xial marble-fcont edihcos
And, above all, great many gentlemen Of va
flons means have become the owners Of large,
and in some cases substantial, buildings. It is
true that they have achieved this wonderful
pre~eninence st great expense to themselves.
1T is true that many Of them have spent sleep
'lesa nights over their unlooked-for position. It
lis even estim.ted that il the slccpless nights
they spent vera consecutive, whole diamal
decade could be constr ucted out OF them.
now IT REGAIN.
When 4 man takes it into his head that he has
lot, unencn1nbered with mortgage or building.
Then be is to be pitied. Just after the fire, many
of our distinguished citizens found themselves
In just this predicament. They owned lots, but
there WAS nothing upon them Of any particular
value, except brickbats and cinders, and the
market was so completely g1utted with these
commodities that they were not salable.
property. It being q necessity that build
Angs should be promptly erected to
inject the demand, ~ many substantial
Kant1emen we're thrown into the sleep1ess coz
EDITION alluded to by desire to build. Many ct
them hhd built before, and knew something Of
the labor they undertook. Others had not, and
70 thesa the future had opened out an entirely
new set OF possibilities ITO Own building
ito rent ito pay tor it, and enjoy the balance"
..0ero worda Of such portent that Hamlet's
'soliloqny faded into insignihcance before it. As
ut wzs then, 80, with certain notifications, ls it
to-dAy. The man rho builds is creature tor
lmented By more furies than the miserable
tOrestes. The want OF money pursues hin with
!unrelenting scourge. The fear Of making
an error looms up In tho witching hour,
md shadopy outlines Of fraudulent contractors
.fhur13ing from beneath the falling wallis OF un.
finished buildings people his dreams with phan-
toms, by the side Of which tho actual ssBistant
OF the Town Collector il symbol Of perennial
peace and quietu1e.
RAISING TIE MoxET.
But when the family have contended that it's
head owes duty to society, and that that duty
! 'ts the Immediate erection upon such lot AZ be
o"ns OF line 1ou1-8tory and basement stone
front building, there is really nothing for the
poor man to do but obey its mandates, and
commence building at once. His title to the lot
is clearer than anything else In bis mind. He
certainly owns that, If he OWNS nothing else
And, On general principles, he does own nothing
else-nothing that will enable him tc put
handsome building upon it. His lot is yalu-
able one, perhaps. It may be worth s25, 900, OF
perhaps more. On the strength Of this he ap-
plies to loan agent, states his case, and wiahes
TO borrow money: The agent satisfies himself
him hare the worth Of it on loan, on the e1ecu-
tion Of mortgage, the money to be forthcoming
as it is needed. Tho agent agrees to let him
hare this full amount at q high rate of in
tsIf 1 ses9esv oes friend bs that s
may want three times that amount before his
structure is completed. The loan agent tells
him that when this much is expended mort |
an% L.
more, in proportion to the value Of the building.
Thus By lnstalments the money ia raised to COM |
piete the structu1e--or is ready to be raised |
when needed.
SECURING An ARCHITECT.
Having satisfied himself beyond the possibilI- /
Il OF change of mind that be wants building, |
hnd that the sooner he iB in possession Of it the
better for his peace Of mind and the harmony OF
his domestic relations, the landed proprietor be-
taxes him to an architect-a professional gentle
man whose fundamental principle is to regard |
every rival architect IN ignorant, worth |
loss fellow whose smattering Of knowl-
edge is calculated only to deceive.
speech to a client, but lntolerant Of everybody
calling himseH architect OF the represent
atiSes Of tho profession in Chicago, it is only
fair to lay that as . class they are refined cul-
tivated, pleasant, and enterprising-to all who
do not infringe upon their domain. They never
see any merit in another architects work, sharing
with artists tho peculiar faculty Of discovering
flaws in their fellows composition. When .
building designed by 11r. 4 settles, then 3, @,
and the balance of the alphabet mark down one
score against him, thrug their shoulders and say
~ he is no architect" When B gets himself into
difficulty by reason OF weak piers, instantly the
deuounces him - fraud, and
when Cfs building becomes scandal for
tho press to comment Oh, the fraternity
soaco the miserable designer by telling him
that, for amateur, bis mistake would be inex-
cussble every architect's apprentice having
mora sense than to risk such WTetched mate |
rial or to run up such fre-trap.
TO one Of these gentlemen, re hesitatingly
introduce Cur ambitious friend, who vishes to
have bis name in letters OF stone, high above
he sidewalk, for coming generations to admire.
The first step he undertakes ia to tell the archi-
ect that be intends to erect building, specify
ng its purpose-for Offices, let US suppose: He
furnishes the dimensions OF his lot, say 45xl00
eet, and suggests that he wishes it laid out in
be most profitable manner, and With the least
,oRaib1e expense.
THE FIRST BKETCH.
And here he generally falls into grievous
rror, Against which he should be cautioned.
1ha Arrhifect hnnr4 what ha hH8 tn FAY and I