The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-12-16

1t, and before Captain W. p. Halliday, who
also signi6ed his approval Of, and willing
ness to enter into the scheme. Captain
Halliday subsequently broached the sub
Ject to Col. s. s. Taylor, who was also ia
vorably impressed. The Colonel consulted
with Captain Shields shortly after and sug-
gested stock company, which suggestion
met with favor from Captains Halliday and
Shields and Mr.. Hartman; and il was de.
cided between them to call meeting Of
persons feeling an interest in the matter,
said meeting to take place at the law Office
Of Messrs. Green g. Gilbert. To this in
formal call the following gentlemen re-
sponded: Col. SIS. Taylor, Captain W. P.
Halliday, Captain T. W. Shields, and
Messrs. Daniel Hartman, r. W. Miller, r.
H. Cunningham, NJ. F. Gilbert and J A.
Goldstine. All present manifested deep
interest in the object Of the meeting; a
chairman and secretary were elected, and
the project was thoroughly discussed.
Other informal meetings were held, at
which all questions raised were favorably
decided upon, In the meantime Captain
Shields opened correspondence with Mr..
McElfatrick, prominent architect Of
Louisville, and obtained rough estimate
OF the probable cost Of building such az
had been agreed upon by the gentlemen in
their meetings. The estimate was submit.
ted to the gentlemen in the movement, at
meeting held some time in the latter part
of August, this year, and it was then that
the following gentlemen present, pledged
themselves to take a certain amount of
stock, each:i w. p. Halliday, T. W.
Shields, D. Hartman, Chas Gallagher, j. A..
Goldstine, Fl. II. Candee and NJ. f. Gilbert.
This may be considered the
FIRST STEP
taken in the grand movement which Gull
minated yesterday in the completion of the
magnificent edifce, the opening
of which was 80 brilliantly
celebrated last night. This step
was considered basis for more aggressive
action. The secretary Of the meetings, Mr..
NJ. +. Gilbert, opened correspondence
with the secretary of state, with reference
to obtaining charter; q meeting was
called for the purpose of organising a
stock company; books were opened for the
subscription Of stock; board Of directors,
consisting of Captain Thomas W. Shields,
Col. S. s. Taylor, and Messrs. Charles
Gallagher, Fl. H. Candee, M. F, Gilbert, r.
w. Miller and Daniel Hartman, was elect
ed, Mr.. R. w. Miller subsequently with
drew and Captain w. P. Halliday was
chosen in his stead, and charter was APP
piled for, bearing the names Of the following
gentlemen as incorporators: L. w. Shields,
S. s. Taylor, W. P, Halliday, D. Hartman,
J. NJ. Phillips, NJ. F. Gilbert, j. A. Gold
slime.
I A meeting of the directors was soon
after held, at which Captain Shields was
elected president; Mr.. Frank Gallagher,
treasurer, and Mr.. Miles r. Gilbert, secre-
tary of the company. Plans were advertis'
ed for, and Messrs. 7 B, McElfatrick q Son, Of
Louisville, were awarded the contract fol-
experimenting the construction of the
building.
One of the difficult problems which pre-.
sented themselves was the site upon which
the building was to be erected. Several
pieces of ground, in various parts of the
city, were considered, chief among then
being the vacant lots, opposite Mr.. DAME
Hartman's store, on Commercial avenue
and the lots occupied by the old Athe
neum and several other buildings. TIL,
latter was finally decided upon and pur
chased by the company from Mrs. A. B
Stafford and Miss Barnes. They also pur
chased from the city strip Of land twent
feet wide by one hundred feet long, alon
Railroad street, thus giving piece Q
ground one hundred feet wide b
about one hundred and twenty feet lonl
The plan of erecting the building alon
Railroad street, and several large stor
rooms in front Of II, as suggested by Cap
Shields, was adopted and ordered, carries
out.
Bids for furnishing material and doinl
the work were next advertised for, and tn
call was responded to from many Of tn
large cities in the country, by some of tn
largest ontractors and best workmen
Contracts were signed on the Goth of Sep
tember; ground was broken on the sam
date, and that the work was pushed forwar'
with marvellous rapidly Is sufficiently dc
monsrated by the fact that, within a littl
over two months, the building was com
pleted in all its glorious beauty, and read