Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-12

| teresting papers Of this description. ]. Fl.
Houston-for that is the name Of the tall
Georgian. at one time the secretary Of Alexan-
der H. Stephens, vice president of the confed-
eracy-has made this work his principal occupa-
ton for years, ever since he came to the capt.
tai, and the result Is aggregate of autograph
documents from the hands of some Of the most
prominent men figuring in this country's his
tory since the revolution
Some of them bring to light great many
facts of an unwritten nature which are occa-
sionauy replete with humor in the light Of
more recent years. Others, bearing upon sub
jects equally public in character, tell of the
numberless pieces of political wire pulling and
engineering which characterized appropria-
tons nifty years ago, just as Congress succeeded
in doing with the worlds fair 81 500 600 last
spring. And one of these rather a series of
them, marks the somewhat lax methods of
running money matters which figured in the
completion of the dome OF the Capitol itself.
The average school boy doesn't know. unless
he has read 1t somewhere, and older persons
either. for that matter, that when Lincoln de-
livered his first inaugural address in March.
81, the massive pile of the Capitol standing
back OF the outgoing and incoming executive
was in a state of architectural beauty consider
| ably less than that furnished by its present
| finished aspect. The outlines of the immense
structure were there, OF course, but the dome
had not reached more than one-third its con-
! temrlated height above the wings and this led
one of the ways of. the day to remark that The
Capitol reminded him of big white Jail from
which the prisoners escaped through the roof
| and took part Of the roof with them
! However, the architects forces were still at
| work and it was only q matter Of time" when
! the finishing touches would be needed. Con-
gress had made Is sort OF general appropriation
| without going very much into Details and prac-
ticaly the ARCHITECT of the Capitol extension
\ anil dome ~ as his o}i nj ha
pay rolls, and the commissioner Of public
| grounds and buildings were authorized to make
| contracts in whatever manner seemed to them
most judicious. Mcclellan and the Union army
had been forced to evacuate the peninsula and
| Popes defeat at second Bull Run made more
| than one resident Of Washington fear for the
safety of the seat of government from the con-
| federates. But the architect didn't let the tenn
| porary fortunes of war have pernicious effect
| on the progress OF the Capitol and finally con-
cluded il was high time to interview an artist
! about decorating the dome soon as the work.
men had done with it, Architect Thomas W.
| Walter then held the position now occupied by
| Mr.. Clarke and the italian artist. Brumdi was
still in Washington, having performed much of
/ the other labor in his line necessary about the
remainder of the building
/ Mr.. Houston has in his collection the entire
| correspondence relating to contract for the
| final decorations and it shows that eight
| months elapsed before the artists terms had
/ been scaled down to what Architect Walter and
Commissioner French thought would not be an
excessive figure and Signor Brumidi was per-
mtted to apply the combination of brush and
palette to the maiden surface Of wall sixty
yards from the ground. As much red tape
seems to have been used then as now III letting
| government work and the architect was moth
ing il not exact. In his letter to the artist I'M
der date of August IS. 1862, ne requests Signor
| Brurnidi to put in . bid for supplying .'the eye
| of the new dome Of the United States Capitol
| with picture, which was described as reGuir-
ing Ito be sixty-hye feet in diameter. painted
| in fresco and on a concave canopy" Mr.. Wal
ter was particular to add that the kind of fresco
| desired must be real and asked an estimate
OF cost for the work, including cartoons and
| the ct ceteras. He remarked incidentally
! that the artist would need to the scaffoding
| left by the workmen, and limited that an early
| application for the job might be of advantage.
! And Brumidi evidently lost no time, for on
| September his answer forw trded to the
architect. in which his plans and price were
submitted. The former were adopted without
| bubble, and include the following figures just
| as they were afterward painted in the dome
and completed one of the finest works of the
kind i'll the world: six groups. representing
War; Science, Marine, Commerce, Manufact-
| ures and Agriculture. each figure being sixteen
| feet in height; in the center there should be an
apotheosis Of Washington, surrounded by allie
gorical Characters and the thirteen original sis
ter States" ''As this work will be SEEM con-
cludes Signor Brumidi. Fat height of $50 feet
! from the ground the figures must be brought
| out in the boldest manner, and there are
4.664 square feet OF space TO paint over $780, 900
should not be oyerbid as COMPENSATION"
Plainly, however, the $50 900 was regarded an
lover bid, as the next letter in the collection
shows. Plainly, too, Col. Ernst of the public
grounds and buildings" Office in these days is
more prompt in answering official communica-
| lions than his predecessor, Mai. b. B. French
/ Nm in 1890 The (onitpl to- rafa ba
whole matter to Maj French, but he kept
| Signor Brumidi on the anxious bench for three
months. and ii was not until December "a that
| he replied to Architect Walter who notified the
| his price was too steep. Maj French added to
| Mr.. Walter, though, that Brumidi was undoubt-
| eddy the best artist that could be secured and
hoped the deal could be arranged for less than
the half century" Of cold cash. The italian
painter wasn't allowing a good thing to go by
| the board, and three days later he wrote that he
had reconsidered the matter and was willing to
| work for the modest stipend Of $4,000, 20
| per cent below his original offer.
| Maj. French approved Of this and on March
IL, 1868, Architect Walter wrote Brumidi that
his terms we're accepted and he could begin
operations on April following. He was not to
| be paid more than 81, 900 per month. however,
| until the job WAS completed. Nearly two years
were necessary to carry out the contract but it
was carried out to the letter, and since 1865
| uldstcI "Ork udb Dccu Al Inc QOmc 70
| speak for itself.
How many Of the hundreds and thousands
| who daily traverse Lafayette Square and
| wonder when steps will be taken to remove the
| weather stains from "Old Hickory" Jackson
equestrian state and chase the fowls Of the
air from their roostIng place have an idea that
| their grandfathers, or great-grandfathers per-
haps, contributed coin of the realm to erect
the monument? Not a large number, I'M
questionably. But il each pedestrian could
take glance at another document which be-
longs to the Houston collection he or she would
| hnd more than one ancestor who pledged him.
self far back in the 40s and early sos to
give stated sum toward the project. The
document in question Is the original subscrip-
ton list which was passed around among Wash
ingtons citizens and Office holders for the pu--
pose OF raising the funds necessary. II contains
| more than one name Of men whose sons have
since become prominent in local, business and
| social circles, and not a few attained political
honors on their own account, well as furnish
ing an example in the same direction for their
progeny.
Unlike the method for doing those things
| nowadays, the movement to erect q statue to
Gen. Jackson originated outside Of congress
sionsl circles among private citizens Of the
capital, and q very curious history the whole
affair makes, coupled with such peculiarly in
teresting circumstances as. 1t is safe to say,
have not attended any similar project here.
A public meeting, held in Washington the
latter part Of 1913, decided that the requisite
cash, about SIS, 900, should be raised by popu-
f~,1< H.