The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-02-19


his mistake. Mr.. Spofford couldn't give the |
specifications of the Boston building be- |
cause they existed only in the brain OF the |
architect. Mr.. Strout then brought out the |
fact that the Boston architect was also way |
off on the kind of dressing the granite was |
to receive in Mr.. FasSett's plans. Mr.. Strout |
was forced to conclude that the Boston arch |
itect could make building cost about as |
questioning was through, Orville d. Baker |
took the Boston architect in hand few min |
utes to revive MIN.
The Portland Architects.
Then Hon. j. Manchester Haynes arose to
say that he had intended to speak but he
thought he would not now. Perhaps he
might some other time. Then Mr.. Verrill
called Architect Stevens. Mr.. Stevens gets
some good curves in his buildings but his
stories are always straight. He then gave
some good authority, that of General Meigs
of the United States army, to show that the
cost of large buildings ranges by the cubic
foot from about 40 to so cents. The cost of
the Hartford Capitol he had verified since
| his last testimony and he had no. change to
make in his estimates made last Thursday
| night He also showed that applying the
| Boston brothers rule of highest square feet
cost to his Mr.. Stevens's plan would make
| it cost only little over 100000 Mr.. Stew
ems said the buildings described by the Bos-
ton architect were very deliberately finished
buildings, more sumptuous than Maine
would want. Oryille ID. Baker tried him
with few questions, but apparently hav-
was cautious. He failed to make any i'm
preston on the architect or audience.
Mr.. 4. Id. Fassett was next called. Mr..
Fassett gave his experience In building the
city building in Portland and IN building
| other buildings. He said he had no reason
| to change his estimates of the cost of a
capitol built after his plan. He was not ac-
customed to give fictitious estimates. Mr..
Fassett said that the foundations of the
Portland city hall were very difficult while
those OF capitol on the Western Promen-
AIDE. would be very easy. Judging the one
building by the other, the new capitol could
| not cost over five hundred thousand dollars.
Mr.: Fassett then showed where the Boston
architect had made his mistake in not reckon
ing that quarry face granite is very much
cheaper than hammered. Orville ID. Baker
| was on hand tonight as he was last Thurs
day to learn of architecture from Mr.. Fassett.
| He added very materially to his store of
knowledge by this questioning and then at
tempted to set up some standards Of his own
| as to measurements of buildings with which
he tried to trap Mr. Fassett. At this point,
| the Hon. Galen Moses of Bath asked leave
| to ask few question when he finished The
| ex-Attorney General had dropped several
points as an architect.
! Mr.. Moses's Speech.
Mr.. Moses was the next speaker. He said
1t was evident to all in this i'll ventilated
hall that we need new State House. The
| plan to enlarge this is to cost $135,000. The
estimates made for new one at Portland is
| 100000, made by Mr.. Fassett, whom he
knew to be reliable architect who came
within his estimates. Now if we had new
| State House Portland would pay $780, 900,
| leaving $500, 600 of the 100000 to be paid.
| But 1t would cost $135. 900 to repair this, so
that left only about $4,000 more that it
| would cost to get State House in a city
where you could get good accommodations
| and plenty to eat [Cheers and laughter
| Mr.. Moses then went on to show bow insig-
| nifcant the cost of getting this new capitol
would be. The taxes for raising this money
| would amount to about two cents for each
inhabitant, this would be the small cost Of
| State House that would be pride to the
State. Loud applause
Others Who Spoke for the People.
| Mr.. @. V. Towns end, of Brunswick, had
been deeply interested in the discussion. He
was member of the Board of Trade and
had interviewed large number of the lead
ing citizens of Brunswick and they one and
all were in favor of moving it to Portland.
Mr.. G. Goldthwaite, Jr, of Biddeford, said
that he represented 61.OOO people of the
/ county OF DIX, anu Iley demanded LDaE the
capital be moved to the City of Portland
| where senator, If he happened to be poor
| in money, although intellectually rich, could
| live without being robbed. In behalf Of
$4,000 people Of Saco and Bddeford and 81, 600
| of York county he asked the representatives
to vote for the removal of the Capital to
| Portland.
Hon. j. II. Kimball of Bath said he could
| say something about the effect it has upon
the health Of any one who has to come here.
/ A contriver of instruments of torture could
| not devise much worse places than the com
| mittee rooms and representatives hall were.
If we were to have a change the question
came whether we should repair this building
or have new one. He had no doubt that
removal would be approved by a large
majority Of the people of the State
Hon: William Emery. of Alfred sent let
ter with the delegation from Alfred. He
said the people of York county heartily APP
proved the project Of building new State
House, The cost would be small, and could
be easily borne.
Judge Wing Of Auburn was to have spok-
en- for that region, but just before the time
| came for him to speak, he was forced to
leave the hail. He sent In a note stating
that the bad air of the hall had so affected
DIS lungs that he had been obliged to leave.
| Hon. Ara Cushman of Auburn next spoke
| lie thought 1t much better to build new
capitol than to repair the old one, and when
the selection of the site came up in question
he was in favor of Portland If they couldn't
1
MIR. vinton's Speech.
Mr.. Warren III. Vinton of Gray said: II
came from one of the farming regions that
my honorable friend, j. w. Bradbury re-
ferred to, and / came down In company with
the gentleman who is the town treasurer of
Raymond, and close sharp man who counts
every cent, and he pitched into you fellows
for making so many unnecessary appropria-
lions and increasing the taxes, but finally
wound up by saying: Upon this ques-
ton Of the capital it is disgraceful. am
| willing to be taxed for a new capitol. no
| matter what it costs, and that is the feeling
| OF my entire community. l am in the midst
| Of farming one and they say that the time
| has come for new capital. As to the ex-
| pense the peopleare willing TO be taxed Ref.
erence has been made to the capitol at Hart
| ford, which cost two and one-haf millions,
but there is not man, woman or child in
| the State of Connecticut but who is glad
| that that has been built, with all its expense
for public buildings are the land marks
| along the way of civilization and progress.
Take six, seven or eight hundred thous-
and dollars to build this capitol, and there is
not a man who can cipher out by pen and
| paper, or slate and pencil, whether or not he
has been bit or not by the expense [applause
| And II this Is true, what is the matter?
| Now the central place is the one thing to be
| discussed. If we travel by foot, or In wag
| ons, this would be the geographical centre.
| maintain the geographical centre is entire
| ly out of the question. 1t was the argument
that entered into the removal of the capital
at the outset. 1t does not exist at all TODAY
| but the argument of the railroad centre,
where people travel did not exist until to.
| day. But 1t is the question which should