The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-05-26
The DopaldsoQvilIe Chief
OUR GoosEQUILL LETTERS.
rRo Dollars q Year.

!. Building in the Country-Ridgesvay LII
Change at the Centennial grounds
Bad Pavenerts, Dirty Streets and Inn
pure Water The Musical Festival, etc.
~ PHILADELPHIA, May IL, 1883.
ED1ToR CHIEF:
The Mayor ana all other city officials of
Philadelphia are quite impatient at the
slow progrsss gaado with the work on the
City Hail. No wonder; TWAS begun twelve
years ago, and several years must elapse
before it is finished. 1t will require about
as much time and money for its compile
ton as the Brooklyn Bridge-ffteen years,
and every bit of $4,000, 900. 1t will no
doubt be the costliest executive building in
the United States. Nine million dollars
have already been expended on it, and the
lowest estimate for its final cost, not in
Guiding furniture, is $12,000,OOO. Why, If l
mistake not, the Capitol at Washington cost
only S13,OoO,O0o. Does it not seem a pity
that the outcome of all this expenditure of
time, money and labor should be dissatis-
faction2 The architecture, the location, all
HE6 StfGfCly iIoUOlAy ls PlCuoSSss
The Council of 1868 passed an ordinance
providing for the erection of municipal
buildings on Independence Square. Com
missioners were appointed to direct the
work and no limit to the cost. The Coun-
ellis were to raise the money by a special
tax Great dissatisfaction was expressed
ct the idea of locating in independence
Square. A popular vote was taken and the
majority said it must be in Penn Square.
Then there was great indecision as to
whether there should be one or more
buildings. [ don't see how there could
have been two opinions on that subject.
Four buildings, one on each corner, would
have left the streets open and preserved
William PENIS plans i'll laying out the city.
One building was decided on, and it was
placed at the intersection of two wide
streets, Broad and Market. The building is
hidden and the streets jammed up. It
looks very queer and excites ones surprise
at first sight. There are four wings TO the
building opening on court: 500 rooms
most Of them very dark. Up to the present
time, there has boon used 100000 cubic
feet of foundation stone, over 200, GOO cubic
feet of New England granite over 100000
cubic feet of white Lee marble, about 100,-
900 cubic feet of buff and blue Ohio sand
stone, 100000 tons of iron floors and
roofs, 1860 tons Of cast iron fixtures, 405
tons slate roof and 81 goo, coo bricks. From
these figures you can get some idea of the
size of the building. Then too, (if it is ever
finished there is to be tower 535 feet high,
whichwiIl be the highest artificial construc-
ton in the world. On the top of it there
will be statue of Penn. 1t was the inten-
ton to place the bones OF Penn beneath the
tower, but there was objection made to
having them moved from their quiet resting
place at Jordan's. I think it handsome
building and if it overlooked one Of the
squares in the midst of large grounds, it
would be an ornament to the city.
Another mistake in the location of public
buildings was erecting the Ridgeway Lii
brary SO far out on Broad street. Broad is
"a very wide street, twelve miles long and is
very pretty in some parts, but, just in that
locality it is very unattractive. The Lii
brary was founded by the late Mr.. Rush, as
q memorial to his wife, who was a Miss
,Ridgeway. He endowed it with his whole
estate of over million of dollars. He was
"a prominent physician and rich, but the
mass of his wealth was inherited by his
wife. She was quite conspicuous in society:
she lived in elegant style and it was her
pleasure and habit to entertain all the
noted personages who visited Philadelphia
The Library building occupies square
of ground, is of granite, very large and
presents q fine appearance. I strolled in
there the other day with lady, an old resi-
dent and native of this city. We passed
around the reading rooms looking at va
rious objects of interest. "Oh," said she,
4" there is bust Of DR.. and Mrs. Rush"
We were just then looking through the glass
doors into small chamber at the memo
rial tablet. On either side of the tablet
was bust-the one of Apollo, the other of
Psyche. did not like to contradict lady,
but 1 politely ventured the opinion that
they were neurological. "Oh, no indeed -
she PERSISTED, those are good likenesses.
That was taken of Mrs. Rush when she
was quite young, before she grew so feshy"
smiled behind the yellow plumes of her
hat, unwilling to disturb the blissful state
of her mind. The Philadelphia Library,
founded by Ben Franklin, is legatee and
custodian of the Ridgeway. They are both
open Sundays. as well as week days, and
though not free, any respectable person
can go there and read.
You can hardly imagine the change that
has taken place at the Centennial grounds.
Every sign of 1876 is removed, except
Memorial Art Gallery and horticultural
Hall. There was no profit in keeping them
What anage of utility is this. A thing is no
use-brings in no money! Then, why cum
bereth it the earth? Horticultural Hall is
always pretty with its rare tropical plants,
and there is much that is very curious and
interesting i'll Memorial Hall Both are
free to the public every week day and Sun
day afternoon. Doubtless you remember
the immense oil painting, 1.-The Battle of
which attracted such crowds
at the Centennial exhibition. I think it
occupies its old place. It still has fascina-
tion for the people-excites more interest
than everything else. think it is per-
fectly dreadful picture. l first saw it in
Chicago. The sight of human beings, kin
dred even, turned into brutes, butchering
each other, and the agony so wildly por-
al tll, co. nc III j