The Portland daily press., 1882-07-18

afternoon party of journalists, invited by Presi
dent Dewitt, made thorough inspection. of
the premises and whatever they have to say
on the subject will not be matter of fancy in
any degree, but strict fact.
The external appearance of the building has
undergone remarkable change. The color is
a gray, shot through with dark olive tint,
the windows and cornices painted light, and
the iron pillars that support the lower story, a
dark chocolate. The capitals of the pillars are
gildsd, and the signs over the storessare all in
tended to be of uniform style ia order to har-
monize with the structure. These stores all
possess ample light and room, and are provid-
ed with French plate glass windows of the
largest size, surmountsd with the small panes
of the Queen Anne time. Their cellars are ex-
ceedingly well lighted, dry and pure. The
stores all have recessed doors in highly polish
ed cherry, swung on heavy, extra finished
hinges, and furnished with DID, figured bronze
handles. Mr.. Batchelder's, the decorators
store, is especially attractive, the character of
his goods serving admirably to display the
capabilities of the room for artistic and useful
purposes.
Entering the Exchange street door, and
passing up the corridor, one is struck with the
atmosphere of quiet, dgnifed repose that per-
vades the building; nor is this feeling dissipat-
ed as one wanders from floor to floor through
the structure. Everything is in perfect har-
mony as to form and color, and does credit to
the one who conceived it all, and whose hand
has been at the helm through the march of
improvement. This corridor is met by the one
from Congress street, midway. The stud OF
this corridor is about fourteen feet, and varies
in the different stories above, from sixteen to
fourteen. The floor is laid in whito and black
marble tiles The walls are beautifully tinted
in mode colors. On either side of the two en-
frances are marble tablets bearing the directo-
ry of the occupants of the building At the
intersection of this corridor is the elevator,
and by its side rises the grand staircase of SOL
id. iron, with the walls in olive and wainscotted
for three feet in polished cherry. This stair
case is 16x19 feet in width and depth, and is so
constructed, as is the elevator, that ii fire
should break out in the basement it would be
impossible for the flames to be carried up the
elevator way by any draft.
quickly conveyed to the fourth story, where he
steps out on TO balcony, running around
three sides of the building, into which open
the rooms devoted to the directors, committee,
medical examiner and actusries The balco-
ny is 3x6x230 feet in length and width, and
looking down from it into the great hall devot-
ed to the clerks, most animated spectacle is
Above is seen the rich colors and
beautiful gliding of the frescoing; through the
glass windows pours beautiful
light; the kaleidoscope moving OF the swiftly
darling forms beneath keeps the eye vigilant;
while the atmosphere is singularly pure and
sweet From the windows superb views COM
mand the whole city and harbor, and, in this
connection, we may say that balcony has
been erected on the roof, which probably af-
fords the finest and fsrthest sweep of
the horizon apart from the Observatory. We
first enter the Directors room from the balcony,
which occupies the Exchange and Congress
street corner. Here is kept the library of the
corporation and here the official business OF
the directors is transacted. The arrangement of
color in this room is in fine taste, not a dis
cordant note being struck from tinted ceiling
to carpeted floor. The general tone is warm
terra Gotta shade, skillfully broken with dull
blues and olives, here and there emphasized
with sharp line of black, or pale yellowish
gray. Lending out of this room are the phys-
clans room and private office, which like that
of the directors, are finished in an individual
scheme of color entirely unlike the first, yet a
transition so subtle as to give no shock as the
visitor passes from one to the other. The
ceiling of this Office is Of light terra-cotta
hue, bordered with light olive, while the con-
Meeting angle of ceiling and wall, is skillfully
evaded by the band of crimson, shot with
black, which f1aes as it were, the two. I'm
mediately beneath this is q broad band (some
two feet or more) of dull pale blue upon which
is painted running scroll of eonventionaiized
leaves and flowers mostly of pale yellowish
olive cast. Below this band the color is rich
olive, bordered with dull Pompeiian red, which
is separated from the wainscotting OF reddish
chocolate, by sharp black lines. Upon the
floor of this apartment is fine Turkey rug,
in which are blended all the colors found in
the room, rendering the whole effect exceed
ingly rich and simple. Apropos to this one
cannot fail to notice how simply some OF the
finest effects of color and form are arrived at,
true test of artistic intuition in the design.
Going down stairs we come upon the floor OF
the grand hall, a large commodious, high stud
ded apartment occupying the space
formerly used as thes tage of the old
theatre. This is lighted by thirteen high,
stained glass windows, which throw delicious
ly subdued light over all. The shape of this
apartment is like letter T, the cross piece BE-
ing the work room, while the shank stands for
the corridor opening into it, really forming one
apartment. Leading from this long arm OF the
7, on the left as we stand with our backs to
the rear of the building, are the presidents
and secretary's offices which are the finest
specimens of work in the building, that OF the
presidents being furnished entirely in polished
cherry, (as indeed are most of the othersl above
the floor, which is of oak, laid in geometric
patterns, while at one end is cosy fire place,
bordered by low tiles. A graceful wood man
tie surmounted by an oaken clock surrounds all
The room is papered in the Lincrusta- Walton,
a preparation that can hardly be called an imi'
tation of stamped leather, but of similar charac'
ter, the figures being embossed, and the effect
charming. This room is faithful representa-
tive of the twelfth century. Adjoining is the
private Office, which is careful copy of the
days of Louis XIV. The Secretarys room
in its coloring and furnishing is delight tc
the eye. The desks in this room are exceed
ingly convenient, and were made especially
for the officers for whom they were intended
Electric bells and speaking tubes here connect
with all the clerks desks. The other rooms Oh
this floor are also beautifully furnished and
finished and devoted to the Local Agent, Gen
eral Manager, Mail Clerk, Stenographer, and
Real Estate and Mortgage Departments The
safe is a stupendous affair. 1t runs from The
basement to the fourth story,is of iron through
out, and is really building within a building
The brick walls around it are twenty inches
thick.
The second floor is occupied entirely oA
lawyers Offices which are probably not exceed
ed in convenience anywhere. Each office and