Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-20
THE NEW CITY HALL.
TWO YEARS MORE OF WORK RE-
OUIRED TO FINISH 1T.
Probability That 1t VIII Cost More Inn"
. Million DoiIars-A beautiful
Structure.

o'clock on the morning Of Septem-
ber1 1886. the day after the great EARTH
quake, Which almost wrecked Charleston
and was 80 perceptibly felt in this city,
oround was broken .or Bichmond's new
City Hall. al
II was beautiful clear morning, with
tho thermometer at G8 degrees. On the
nioht before the ground was ploughed
through. so as TO be ready for the excaya-
tors. The members Of the City Counch
/ Commit,ee on Grounds and Buildings,
several other councilmen, ty-Engineer
! Cntshav and his assistants, Messrs. Bolton
and Furrwyn, and several hundred citl-
EMS inclujing many ladies, assembled on
Tho site 70 see the tirst earth throw
Inst before 7 O'Clock a cart was driven 20
tLa centre of the lot and hartman Thomas
n Render. Of the Committee on Grounds
and Buildings. told Colonel Cutshaw that
the time 10 commence operations on lhe
/ Luildiuq which was to become the PRIDE OF
! Richmond bad arrived
The arst spade If earth was placed IN tn.
cart bv Miss Lucille Pizzini, daughter OF
| Contain Andrew PIzzini. who was then a
member of the Council and Of the Ground,
and Huildincs Committee. The peop-e
/ cheered Justify at the thought that after
( nanv wears of talk and speculation the
| CITY was really going TO have a, city hail
which would be On ornament and credt
After Miss Pizzini had put down the
shade twenty-oDe men and twenty-four
carts went to work.
THE CORNERSTONE LAYING.
The work Of excavating progressed very
we'll and on April 9Th OF the next year the
cornerstone was lad. The dav was one OF
those which April sometimes borrows from
Marcb-partly cloudy, WINDY, ana cool,
with the thermometer perslstentlY hanging
around in the neighborhoOd Of 90 degrees.
There was very creditaole street a
rade. of which Major Norman Y. Randolph
was CHIEF marshal. All the officers OF TIE
oity were out. and also nearly al OF the
dienitaries Of the State, and many mem
hers of tho General Assembly, which was
| in session at the time.
The public exercises opened with
prayer by Rev. Or. Hoge. Then came tne
ceremony of laying the cornerstone by the
Masons, after which Hon. Beverlev ~:
Wexford, Jr, judge of the Circuit court
of Richmond and Henrico, delivered u fine
| grafton.
TWO YEARS TO COMPETE IT.
Thouqh commenced nearly four years
ago the CITY Hall will not be ready for occu-
pany for two years from the present sum
mer. Our city officials may consider them
selves fortunate If they Get into their ele-
CANT new quarters by July, lsH2. ms Is
not a long time in which 10 build such
municipal home as Richmond ~ going 70
have. 1t will be the finest city hall south
Of Baltimore. and for style of architecture
and soliditv of construction Il Will not De
excalled by any building IN this country.
IN work has been done entirely by day
labor under the Immediate supervision OF
City-Engineer Cutshaw. Until lew
months ago Mr. Reuben Sherrifls was the
supervising architect, but since he re-
signed TO accept position elsewhere = tn "
work has been looked after by Mr.. ;. l..
Bates. first assistant to the City ENGINEER.
MIR. James NetherwoOd was the first
foreman in charge of the hands, but now
Mr. David Leyshon is charged wlth TINS
duty.
COST or THE BUILDING.
OF course few such buildings are erected
where the cost docs not far exceed the
estimate Of the architect. When complete
our CITY Hall Will nave cost the city not
less than 100000, and probably con-
siderably more. SO far the Council has
appropriated S790,O00 TO the work. Of
this sum 1896, G26.45 was expended up TO
July 18th. leaving a balance of Sg3,313.55 TO
the credit of the Citv-Hall work. The con-
tract for the hardwood finishing. recently
given out, amounts TO j,663 and the con-
tract for flooring Is $500.
THE HANDS EMPLOYED.
There will not be as many hands to pay
of in the future as in the past for the work
has now reached point where such a large
force is not needed. In July. 1899. there
were ia persons on the payroll, but this
month there are only 1870.
About eighteen months ago the Commit
tee on Grounds and Buildings adopted a
resolution to discharge from the Clty-Hall
work all persons who were not Democrats.
Several stone-cutters and laborers lost
their places. and the result was that there
was considerable feeling over The matter.
and the committee rescinded its action
and adopted a resolution that in the
future the politics of applicants for work
on the building should be satisfactory
to the committee. Since that time when
a person desired employment he would go
to member Of the committee with his
endorsement" state what branch OF the
work he desired to engage in, and at the
meeting of the committee his name was
placed upon the list Of applicants for en-
nlovment. and when there was vacancy
or demand for extra force Colonel Cutshaw
would select from the list. which has gem
orally been full.
Inc men 20 10 WOIk W . cloch. ud'S III
hour for dinner. and leave az o'clock.
TIE DAY-LABoR PLAN.
Putting up this immense building by
day-labor was great undertaking, hut the
plan has worked very sat isiactorily. There
never was any bother about getting labor
ers. The supply generally was greater than
the demand: and Richmond will undoubt-
edly have q much better structure than If
the work had been let to contract. There
were many persons who took a different
view of the matter and contended that to
construct the CITY Hall by day-labor was
too immense an undertaking and would
never succeed. Mhel they now look upon
the solid walls. so neatly and compactly
put together and ready for the roofing.
many who objected to the plan adopted
are ready to confess that it was the better
way after ali.
THE PRESENT WORK.
The City Hall already looks grand and is
admired by all strangers who come here.
1t will be the pride of all Richmonders
when it is completed. The walls are row
finished, and all the stone has been laid,
except a few pieces where the balconies