Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-31
CAPITOL IMPROVEMENTS.


During the past few months a great deal CT
work has been done in the Capitol building,
that has the effect Of much Improving the
appearance Of several of the rooms. which
heretofore have been quite shabby under the
application of repeated whitewashiugs. 1t is
certain that it was a false economy to ever
have whitened the walls of thas building, and
this is made clearly evident by glance at
the work now being done, which is as differ
ent from mere whitening as the finish Of
fence is from that of parlor. As the rooms
are now being finished, they will not require
| to be whitened annually, as heretofore. and
will probably not need to be retouched Of
teuer than once in seven or eight years, and
/ the workmen say even ten years. At leastthe
walls will not grow annually yellow and dingy.
az heretofore, nor will they, In their present
| soft tiuts and with their smooth and even
! finish, gather the dust and dirt To look for
moment now at one of the newly finished
rooms. and then TO enter the beautiful legis-
lative chambers, and see their smoked and
yelloWisi walls, the result of accumulated
coats of whitewash, or other like preparation,
| and of dust. smoke and gas discoloration, is
to have a most striking contrast presented
to the eye 1t has, say the watchmen who
escort visitors from abroad about the building,
been almost the unanimous exclamation on
their part, when viewing the Senate and As
sembly chambers. What pity such superb
| rooms should have such unsightly walls"
MIR. Jones, one of the day-watchmen says that
so common has this kind of expression be-
cone, that now, when he ushers visitors into
the rooms, he Immediately begins TO explain
that the walls are unfinished. The Secretary
of State says that the improvements made in
the wall finish of some Of the offices will not
be carried out in the legislative chambers
now, or at all, unless the people, as repre-
sented in the Legislature, shall direct, because
the fund available is not sufficient to warrant
the work being undertaken. In the rooms
repaired as referred to, the walls were first
thoroughly washed and scraped clean of the
whitening and calcimining of past years and
rubbed down perfectly smooth They were
then tinted in tints most likely TO last long
time, and these were put on in the best style
Of the art as now practical. In the Con-
troller's office, the Office of the Superintend-
ent of State Printing, and in the Office OF the
Clerk of the Supreme Court, there has been
no fresco finish attempted, but only the
plainest tinting, with bare suggestion of
finish in detail along the cornice. But even
with this strict economy of material and
labor, the rooms ara so improved that they
are scarcely recognizable as the same rooms
the visitor at The Capitol has been accustomed
to see. In the Governors Office more eiab-
Grafton has been entered upon and some very
handsome tinting contrasts along the cornices
and holdings have been secured. in the
Office of the Secretary of State, however, be.
cause these rooms are most visited there has
been more of finish in detail and more
liberal exercise of the fresco painters art.
The inner Office Of the State Department is,
indeed, finished elab )rately, and is superior
to any work of the kind in the city. This
elaboration, however, has been confined TO
the ceiling, holdings, and cornice exclusively.
The offices of the Attorney. General, the
Surveyor General, and Superintendent OF
Public destruction, have been tinted apd
finished much like those first described. No
other rooms will be treated in this manner.
The tinting and frescoing has been doue
under the supervision of Mr.. Lanphere. The
fresco work is the result of the skill of the
ONeil Bros. All the improvements have
been carried out by direction of Secretary of
State Burns, as Superintendent of the Cap
itol building
BuRGLARY-On Saturday night last, in the
wee small hours when all honest folks were
absd. some sneak thief broke into the base
ment Of the residence of DR.. r. Forbes, at
Eleventh and b streets. Ihey oVerhauied
every thing in the room, ard stole a lot Of
bacon, basket, and kit Of carpenters tools.
They carried the tool.cbest from the bulldog
to the yard and there selected what tools they
wanted and left the rest.
LETTER OF INQUIRY.-Simpson Burgin, of
Trenton, Grundy county, Missouri, writes
letter, SIS follows: I have three nephews
somewhere in California. 1 have not seen
them for many years. would like to hear
from them if they are living. Their names
are John H. Busgin, Charles Burgin, Win
field S. Burgin.
INTERNAL REVENUE OFFIcE.-A. L. Frost,
Internal Revenue Collector, moved into his
new cfice corner of Second and streets,
over Wells, Fargo & Co.'S. office, yesterday.
The rooms are new and elegant, occupying
the whsle second floor. and all the arrange
ments are very convenient.
IMPROVEMENTS The brick building on the
northwest corner of K and Third streets is to
be entirely remodeled. The workmen COM
menced yesterday to put in new 'front.'
IMMIGRANTS Fifty-four immigrant pas
sengers, including forty. four males. will ar
rive by the overland train from the East this
afternoon.