The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-06-23

y, s|soriara and its envircnx swarm
~ n Sizes and degrees Of people
, = always somewhere IN thu
Il @Sr ) slender, familiar figure
5S.6 IN ! dark frock suit nnd I
5iS7rg fi1k hat. He has more care,
- ri mind and more business or
~ knxds than the chairman Of th<
S11fonsI committeeman only durfns
~ cenventson, bat Always and II III
~Szotfy as calm and collected a. I
e1rf|ensxn of leisure xith no heavieI
Er5en depressing him than thai
Sklgk concerns the cut Of his trousers
~ man l. one Of the wealfhiest
snonx the rsost popular, and p<rhsp.
~ mot liberal of all the numerosz,
o1ssens OF art IN Chicago. But fnes,
Srol56cations cut q comparatively
en1Il figure. lie Il the man who ha'
IN the largest and fire.f convention
Il sine, and probably made Chieaxr
~ perpetual convention city Of tn
Emitted states--Ferd W. Peck.
Although the story Of the inception
asd development u the Auditorium
scheme Is toIcrabIy familiar, IL IL NJ
1 nore than just that IL should be re
Md here IN = paragraph for The in
atrurtion OF the thousands who ar
pow here from other cities that wousd
like To have conventions 81 their own
Yesterday Mr.. Pecx escaped mo
nsenfar1iy from his army Of sstfofdin
stes. seated himself IN . cool corner
a the parqr1ct. and ~ he wiped his
ncrspiring brow contemplated an erser
nous engraving Of the completed An
kjtorium.
ssThe thing had been In my mind .
Ing time. . he said. q Chicago had
efgays seemed 10 me 10 he the nso<I
1yaiIabIe Of all our large cities In which
= hold our national conventions, and
AT idea has been the inspiration 81
If enterprise all along. In May. 1sa5
- rlan was indorsed by the CONNER
& al Club: in December Of the follow
ir,r year the association was formed
~ month later ground Was tTo
The association was organized with
capital stock OF $l.y00,m0. II nox
nngsibeys about 90 members. the OH
- being the following named gentle
men; Fer.i w. Peck, pre.ident: =
<. fairtank. first vice president; John
Walsh, second vice presidents
z %
&nS r. Towne, secretary, directors
lohn X. Waish, NJ. A. Ryefson, N. X
rsirbaak, William Penn Nixon. A. L
C<. L. wampoid. Charles Counsel
nm, Henry Field, Fersi w. Peck.
1ke ground. with three street front.
-. nggregating osie-scycnfh Of .
SIi3e and having nm area of over al
arfe and thrce-guarters, il valued al
ti410DD; the completed building win
ufth the land represent an invesfmen,
sm1n0.n1. Although he Is the origi.
~ pfomuleatnr OF the scheme, !.
pNadeat OF the association, and ofs
< the largest stockholders, and has
entire charge Of the construction OF
ine building, Mr.. Peck modesily dis
finims good deal OF the credit thai
uonid seem To be his due.
1T wouid never have been accom-
tiished. = he says, "hut for what call
iheremarkabie cohesion among promi.
neuf Chicago business men.
Although the size and massive char
acter 81 the contemplated structure
necessitatesi nearly a years work on
excavations and tests OF the soil In or
der 10 be sure that disaster Ia the en-.
hrpfise was not lurking near in the
zhspe OF one OF the quirsssnd pockets
which honeyeemb the soil under Chi
no. Mr.. Peck and his assistant.
hboresi on with the firm intention q
accommodating one or both OF ths
o0nyentions OF the following year
1he reputation Chicago had won n
Af convention city par excellence as
sured them that the promise Of suit
able hall would be the only induce
mens necessary 10 offer. BY this tim.
Separations for the laying VI the cor
nrf-stonc we're complete. There re
NAMED less than nine months ia which
b construct many thousand cutie
yaris Of masonry and make ready the
auditorium. Therefore the Theory oi
construction adopted was that Of !
hpilding within a building.
When on December 4, the National
Republican, committee decided 20 hold
~ convention In chicago not a single
Rcck Of granite had been placed In
he outer walls, and the bare brick
walls OF the inner structure were moi
hall np. Then the work began in dead
esrnest. The force Of artisans and la
borss already employed exceeded that
Usually employed upon sach strne'
hires, but now II was nearly doubled
Wherever il was possible 10 utilixe an
extra man he Was instantly placed
here. The contractors in every de
partment neglecfes. other orders, oi
sbsnsiopei them altogether. The att
ditorium grew like stalk of corn n
the July sun.
Chirsvoans continued calm and con,
fdent- they had rebuilt ruined city
but the ssufcr barharians were ske;s
bal and predicted failure,
. I never iispaired of being ready II
tine. g said Mr.. Peck, as he continued
b contemplate the engraving OF ths
epmpiste,l structure. "hut ! cunfes'
DAT a, times the work seemed to dras
Spug most tantalizingly, and wa
worried. thins WAS rather NOR
Worried than ever was before. Bu
" were pledged to the people OF Chi
esre and at Washington, and iil'
nlrrre had no tim. In which to lay
ssxn our tools and discuss ths
dance of success or defeat.
II was not until late in March thai
IL roof Of the convention hall wa
put on, and none OF the permanent
iFnn work Was put la place Until Aprl
ii From this time ON to a coafle %
weeks axo the attention of the butl'i
ssS MAS directed toward the compile
Uca Of The hall. To the comparative ex'
eiasinn Of the outer walls, which wers
new high enough 10 support the inner
structure Bat 80 rapidly did tht
scsk proceed that early in June there
vas no LONGER any doubt about the
ability Of the different contractors 70
eemplste their work in ample time. ana
m outer walls began agsia 20 swarm
VIII masons and iabcrers. Those whe
have trsyersei Congress street daily
it tao weeks past hare been sur
rissSl a; the rapidity with which
sostrss npon course OF dressed. stone
t4s hen added, until now the rough
An<r structure Is almas. soucraitsl
nom yisw. Even when there was no
aea& about the ability of the work
men 10 prepare adequately Tor the
eseds cf the convention no work o'
nsstfisi o; Temporary character was
Permitted 10 20 into the framework OF
sa< aadlfnriam This nov i exactly as
WAS originally designed - he--ot the
most massive and enduring character
tne entire structure i ss nearly TIRE
fepM a. modcFn means can pfoyioe.
SHOULD the thousands Of square warts
ocssrstions catch tire aud Inc con
an.ed the caatiasratien would 50 Nd
Ef6er. The construction ~ the
saoss and galleries i permanent-.oi