Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-07-22
a GRAND STRUCTURE
Tho Euilding Erected BY tho Producs
Exchange OF New York City.

Tho Building Erected 0y tho kFOOuc0
Exchange OF New York City.
The New York Produce Exchange
Is one of the most conspicuous build
ings on Manhattan Island. the seat of
the most influential mercantile corpo-
ration within its limits, and the market
in whose exchanges the entire ma
interested. ..Likc bcctling cliff COM
handing the eye of the home-bound
mariner" it challenges the notice of
travellers approaching through the Mar
rows, or crossing the Hudson from the
further shore. Its MASSIVE campanile
shares with the lace-like Brooklyn
bridge, the spire of Trinity Church,
the tall tower of the Tribune and the
ambitious altitude of the Equitable
and Western Union structures the adj
miration of the stranger.
In view of the purposes this edificc
is designed to serve, it is architecture
ally unrivalcd by any in this or any
other country. OF the modern renais-
sance in style, and marked by symmet-
rically beautiful lines, its general effect
is imposing, and imparts the idea of
strength and permanencc. The build
ing committee knew what they wanted,
and were fortunate enough to find in
George 3. Post, the architect, a trained
artist abandantly able to unite their
original designs with the graces of ele-
gance and uniformity. Begun On'May
l. 1881. it was finished on May 1. 1884.
Fifteen thousand and thirty-scyen New
England pine and spruce piles, driven
through the yielding primitive soil to q
solid bed, and cut off below the level
of tide-water, insure the safety of the
supcrstructurc, and by their upright
ness are supposed to harmonic with
the mercantile men and morals they
uphold. The building is tire-proof
throughout. Granite, brick, terra
Gotta, and IRON are piled above the
corner-stone-bcaring in lasting bronze
the word .'.EQUIrY,' that was
laid with imposing ceremony on the
9th of June, 1SS2-and compose an
edificc 800 by $50 feet in superficial
area. and, with tower and terrace. of
1919 square feet. One hundred and
sixteen feet measure the distance
from sidewalk to roof, 225 feet
to the coping of the tower,
and SOC feet to the top of the flagstaff.
OF course we are not surprised when
told that the flag, 50x2O feet, is the
largest ever made. The tower clock
has face twelve feet in diameter, each
number measuring foot in length,
and weighs 800 pounds.
The Produce Exchange, costing with
land and furniture Il grand total of 3d.
17S, 615. II, is valuable index of pro-
grcssive wcalt: and civilization. 1t in
cludcs 100000 bricks, Is miles of
iron girders, Il miles Of columns. 2.061
tons OF terra-cotta, q acres of floor
ing, more than 1000 windows, nearly
1000 doors, 4! miles of sash cords and
chains, over II tons of sash weights,
1-5 of an acre of skylight over the ex-
change room, 20 miles of steam-pipes,
nearly a mile of pannelled wainscot-
ing, and weighs over $1,000 tons. Four
thousand separate drawings were re-
quired for its construction. The nine
hydraulic elevators carry an average
of p, 800 people daily, or $500, 900 ev-
u SSA' A-.C PoAAPi'iS S'p"SlVy 40
sufficient to supply water to q city OF
$4,000 inhabitants, and. 1,194, 1873
horsepower is utilized annually for
heat and force. All these items are of
less practical interest to the members
than the fact that tho 100 Offices rent,
together with privileges, for about
$1S0.000 per annum. not including
premiums of over $4,000 paid for
choice, and return about six per cent.
on the entire investment. With the
rents and annual dues there will be in
1886 net surplus above interest and
expenses Of $4,000. This income will,
of course, increase as the bonded debt
decreases. " hen the latter is liquid
atcd, the exchange will enjoy net in
come of about $500. coo a year, which
may be applied to the reduction Of
dues or of gratuisy assessments
Richard IFheatly, in Harpcr's Nagaz-
me.