Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-09

esged among the blocks Of stone at the foot
OF the building had disappeared. Nay, the
eld-time blocks themselves seemed to have
been taken away. What could be the
cause? While thus cogitating, the reporter
heard voice, shouting loudly from aooVei
and, glancing upwards, saw that the WORK
men were gathered upon the roof OF the
building and around the central tower, then
all but completed.
HE WAS DOUBTFUL.
"What are they all doing up there?" ex-
claimed the reporter. "Can 1t be tnat tne
work is fnished7 Mol that were lmpossl-
bler'
He made for the nearest dynamite pro,
iectile, and. pulling the trigger, was whlrieo
aloft. The projectile stuck safely IN tne
immense layer of glue overhead and the re,
porter, climbing down his rope ladder, ,touno
himself among the workmen. A great stone
was being slowly lowered into its place on
ton of the central tower, and an elderly gen.
tleman was busily superintending the work.
He was an active.old fellow still, though his
hair was quite gray. and his shoulders were
badly stooped. He danced about, ana
seemed violently excited over the fast de-
scending stone. -,
Lower away, boysl" he cried, shrlily'
Lower away, and - OH = be CAREFUL
Steady, now-ahI there she goes"
As be spoke the mass of granite sank
gradually into its position, and murmur
of mingled pleasure and relief, followed 0y
a great cheer, arose from the lips OF the
persp1ring workmen. Everyone crowded
forward to wiring the old gentleman's hand
everyone poured congratulations into ms
ear. In the midst of the excitement the
gloomy form of the reporter approached, and
the elderly superintendent down whose
cheeks the tears of delight were now cours-
ing, felt himself touched upon the shoulder
by an unsympathetic hand. Turning
quickly, he perceived the reporter, who was
now wreathed in those smiles, Undetermined
one of tombstone immortelles, more than
anything else. The reportorial smile i is
ghastly-nay, even ghoulish; it is the smile
of Mephistopheles with the gout
HE COULDN'T BE FROZEN.
On this occasion, however, the horrible
smile had no effect on the old Superintend-
ent. He was too much excited to be over
come by any amount of damping. How
do YOU do, sir?" he said. "Whom have
he honor of addressinG?"
"I am a DISPATCH reporter, was the
replv, and the smile-wreaths spread to a
whole parterre of ghoulishness.
"a reporterp' laughed the old gentleman,
taking off his spectacles and wiping his
eyes; "Why it seems like old times. a re-
porter! There used to be reporters round
here in poor Malone's time-back IN the
eighties and nineties. you know. But
haven't seen a reporter this 40 years. You
have come at a lucky moment, sir. We
IL AIo 81 e4o of fha huIld.
ingi"
Out came the reporters notebook, and the
CHASTITY smile resigned in favor OF look
that was, if not quite pleasant at least In
terested and animated.
The old gentleman laughed again. "Just
the old stylel'' he cried. "You reporters
aren't bit changed. I see you're burning
to get at all know. Come away down
don't mind that projectile; 1 may be con.
servative, and obstinate, and cowardly, and
everything they say am; but tell you
I'm kind of scared'of those projectilesl
AS CONSERVATIVE AS EVER.
'I have safe, steady, slow, old-fashioned
down by that. Too much speed about g
building like this won't do. It's Govern
ment work, you remember"
Down they went, accordingly, by the an
tique mode of descent, and, after tedious
voyage, reached the basement story.
Now" said the old gentleman, wher
they were seated in his Office, where the
ANTIQUE furniture of 1889, was still fairly
well preserved; "now, I'll tell you story
, In April, 1880, this building was begun.
1 was then IL years of age. and my father
managed to get me in as errand boy to Mr.
M. L. Malone, the first Superintendent Of
the works.
''The first thing that kept the building
back was the granite contract delay. You
see the contract was given by the Govern
ment to Mr.. Michael MCGOWAN, of Wash
ington. But the man upon whom Mr.. Nc
Gowan depended for stone failed, and so the
work was badly thrown back. Finally the
Government took the contract off Nc
Gowan's hands, and the wheels were agair
set agoing. But, you understand, McGowar
had still claim on the Government, anC
the Government was responsible to him fol
all the unnecessary delays in the work
This was also the case with Mr.. B. Dono
van, contractor for the brickwork, and with
the Pittsburg Iron Company, contractors
for the ironwork.
COLOSSAL GROWTH OF INTEREST.
''That was 60 years ago. Consider the
enormous sums now owing by Uncle Sam tc
the heirs or assignees of these old-time con-
tractors. Why, Mr.. McGowan's grand.