Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-07-28
TaE CID CArrreL AT Ar.Axr.

A9/AA u y Liz ~
TaE OLD CAPlToL AT ALBANY.
| ALBANY letter to the N. Y. World
Steps have at last been taken for the
removal Of the old capitol building.
Il has IN its day served its purpose we'll.
when originally completed il was crn-
ndered q structure of great grandeur.
Ii was for years admired by travellers
and tourists fully as much as the new
building that supersedes it. Il has had
It's day, and nov, like an old coat, it is
20 be cast aside. The individual sells
the old coat to the second band dealer
The state proposes to do the same with
the discarded old capitol building. An
advertisement IN the Albany papers an
nounces that the material in the old
building Is for sale. Il states that sealed
proposals will be received at the office
OF the commissioners at the new capt.
toll, until noon of Wednesday, July rs,
for the purchase of the material and the
removal of the old capitol building.
Parties purchasing the same will be re-
qoired to take down the building and
remove the materials ON or before Got.
l, 1883, the corner stone and its contsuts
and the statue of justice that surmounts
the building, to be reserved by the
State. The commissioners don't pro-
pose TO SILL justice.
THE ARENA OF GREATNESS.
That advertisement is an official notice
that the old boilding is doomed. With
its disappearance will pass away a
bolldlnR possessing unusual historic
associations. The State is TO save only
the corner stone and the figure of JUS
tice which has stood on top of the dome
seventy years. as the memeuto of the
structure wherein have been enacted
some OF the most important events of
the nation. The Legislative halls have
BEEN the scenes Of many hard fought
political and factienal struggles. Could
the walls tell the story of all that has
transpired, there would be many q tale
related that would astonish the people
OF this generation. 1t was there that
Thurlov Weed, first appearing as an
menced bis political manipulatiOns and
developed finally into the "king Maker
OF his party.
It was in that building az State SEN
atOrs that Martin Van Buren,, Silas
Wright, Daniel 8. Dickinsoa, William
II. Seward, Charles j. Folger, Andrew
d. White and numerous other neted
public men of the past and present first
attracted the attention of the public. 1t
was there that they first made known
their talents as statesmen. It was in
the Assembly Chamber as speaker and
debater that Horatio Seymour FIRST OBJ
tanned his hold upon the affections of
the Democracy of the State. In that
ball the talents of John A. Dix, Jyhn A.
King, John G. Spencer, William F. Allen,
Francis Herman, Samuel Young and
Samuel ]. Tilden we're first made known.
THE oovERHoRs WHO OBLIGATED THERE.
Daniel D: Tompkins was the first gov
eru0r sworn into Office in that building.
He did not take the oath there until the
commencement of his fourth term. He
left that position to become vice-presi-
dent of the United States. Mr.. Temp
kins was the first governor to occupy
governors room, and Mr.. Cornell was
the last governor to occupy any portion
Of the building officially. He changed
the old for the new chamber late in the
year 1881. Between Tompkins and Cor
nell. such men as Dewitt Clinton, Mar
tin Van Buren,. William L. Marcy, VIM.
II. Seward, Silas Wright, Hamilton
Fish, Horatio Seymour. John A. King,
Edwin d. Morgan, John T. Hoffman,
John A. Dix, Samuel j. Tilden and Lu-
cius Robinson have exercised the pow
ers of the chief executive Office OF the
State within its walls. There was
time when slavery existed in this state,
when 1t was as lawful to buy and sell
human beings here az it ever was in any
OF the southern States. It was not un-
til the session Of the Legislature Of this
present year that the last vestige of Law
authorizing the buying and selling of
slaves was wiped from the statute books
Of the State. In the old slave-holding
days the place where the capitol build
ing now stands, Was known as "Pink-
ster hill" IL received that name fro m
the fact that the slaves annually in May
c0ngregated there to celebrate the
"Pinkster" festivities.
IT'S COST AND CONSTRUCTIONS.
Tho discarded old capitol building
was constructed early in the present
century. The FIRST initiatory steps were
taken eighty years ago. Il was built al
a-ecrt of a cooperative affair between
the State and the city of Albany. 1t
took ten years to construct it, and il
cost $l15,6 S5.52. The city and county
Of Albany furnished the grounds and
contributed $37 200 toward its construc-
ton. The State raised the balance
through lotteries and taxes.
They do things faster in the present
ago. Ten years to expend $4,000 in
constructing public building! What
slow people they must have been! The
Legislature Of the present day appropri-
ates every year $1,250,000, and that 10
exhausted, all expended, before a new
appropriation can be made, by those
who have charge Of the work on the
new building. Ten times as much ex-
pended on the new structures in one
year a. ON the old in ton years measures
the difference in the speed Of the pres
ent generation and Of that early in the
century.
THE STATE HOUSE IN ALBANY.
The first building in Albany used az
the capitol for the State officers and the
Legislature was located down at the
foot of the hill, near tho hanks of the
Hudson. Il was a f0ur-story stone
building, with dormer windows and
gable end 10 the street, after the style of
the houses of the original Dutch settlers
Of Albany. Il stood on tire corner of
Hudson avenue and Broadway, and
vas called the "Stadt Haus." II 40
oommodated the bureaus Of the muni-
cipal government Of Albany, the courts
Of the county, the county jeil, and the
Legislaturs. In the yard Of this build
ing stood the whipping-post and the
pillogy. Such things existed then even
In Albany. There ID no record Of any
Of the legislators Of that day being tax