Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-03-28
ONE WAY OF MAKING a GOV
EPNOR

The state made contract with the Chicago
syndicate TO build housc. out of Oatmanvillc
rock After the foundations were laid In Dat
man vile material the proposition came from
the syndicate TO substitute Indiana limestone
This was urged and warmly supported by Col.
swain. There was fearful hubbub raised
over this. Then they fell back on the denser
and heavier Burnet granite, which they arenow
building upon the Oatmanville rock founda-
ton Which they tell us Ia of loose, scaling ma.
terial which would not bear a suporstructure of
its own lighter weight This move also found
Swain supporting 1t vigorously. Then In
order TO compensate for the increased
cost OF Burnet granite over Oatman-
vile they asked large additional subsidy.
This was also supported by Swain. Then the
proposition was made to compensate for this
additional cost by Topping of something from
the original plan of the building, They
pounccd upon its chief ornament, which was
to cost nearly one fourth Of the sum of the
entire building, the beautiful and stately por.
tico. This also received the support of Col.
swain. DO foreign syndicates put up money
for people for whom they work. or do they not
get every outside penny they can on q contract
like this; DO they generally when working for
state find 80 complacent an officer as
swain? and do not the above facts briefly
stated show something very like collision;
and II not, why not? At least this is about the
way the people of Texas look at mattors.-
Waco Examiner.
We trust our esteemed contemporary
will receive in kindness one or two
triiing corrections OF its historical remi-
niscences.
The state did not make a contract for
the building of the capitol of Oatmanville
rock; it contracted for rock TO correspond
with certain sample and 1t was no more
stipulated that 1t should come from Dat
manville that from the Fliii islands.
The proposition to substitute Indiana
limestone did not come from the capitol
syndicate, but was first made in letter
written May u, 1855, by GOV, Ireland, tc
the capitol commissioners, for transmits
sion to the contractors. Comptroller
Swain, Attorney Templeton and
Land Commissioner Walsh supported the
change from 0atmanyille to In
diana limestone, on the assurance
of the two capitol commissioners ant
Superintendent Walker (all state OFF
| CldlSl tnab tllc AhNtei WAS Us uluCn SUI
perior to the former as marble to mud
A few patriotic politicians declared that
they had rather have house built o.
Texas mud than of Indiana marble, but
the common sense OF the public soor
squelched their zeal
The architect OF the building approved
Of the change from oatmanville stone tC
granite, and the capitol commissioner.
and the superintendent OF construction
stand surety for the safety of the work
These gentlemen We're all selected fol
their knowledge of mechanics aud engi
neerlng. We remember that peniten
tiary bird started a story that the build
ing was unsafe, but we could never be
lieye thatlt is TO this gentleman the Ex
amlner refers when It says "they tel
us" etc,
The additional cost OF granite was es
timated by the capitol commissioners al
| $4,000 Improvements we're made in
the interior walls and the dome to the ex
tent Of ssl, 900. To meet this increas,
of $3.50, oo0itbe state relinquished the east
and west end porticos, valued at 500, 900
and made alterations in the interior Of