St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-22
THE CAPITOL PLANS.
Fifty-SiX Productions Of Ar
chitectS Of a Total Worth
OF 100000.
$4,000 TO GO IN REWARDS.
Drawings All Fine, but Some
Ideas Too Large to Be
Available.
$4,000 TO GO IN REWARDS.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TODAY.
Plans Enumerated in Detail,
With Brief Criticisms on
Some.


are. at intervals, erudlte historians or
talented botanists. Certain papers are
not so fortunate; and in the store room
at the southwest corner of Third and
Cedar streets were gathered yesterday
group of esthetic Youths who could
not become Sir Christopher Wrens on
two hours notice. 1t was very ex-
elusive occasion-nOthing less than
private view for the newspaper men of
the designs tor the new state capitol.
The drawings are SO numerous that
there is not sufficient room for their
satisfactory exhibition. The repre-.
sentative of the commission did his ut
most for the convenience and informal
ton of Michael Angeles successors,
who appreciated his courtesy. In this
connection it may be recalled that in
accordance with the capitol bill passed
III 1898. Gov. Nelson appointed one com.
missioner from each congressional dis
trict. naming H. w. Lamberton. James
ming Seabury, John de Lalttre, G. II.
Graves and E. Z. CorIiss. The governor
himself is president. with Charming Sea-
bury vice president and acting secre-
tary. The commission has selected as
site the almost square piece of
land containing over two blocks,
or $40 acres. and limited by
University avenue. Cedar street,
Central avenue, Wabasha street andPark
avenue. The cost of the building. site.
and all incidental expenses is limited
by law to s2.OO0,OOO. Of this the commits
sion has apportioneu about 81, 500, 600 for
the building itself. The architects fee
is fiXed at 20 per cent on the cost of the
building, so that the successful artist
will barter away his immortal concep-
tons for trit1e over $4,000. In addi-
ton, however, he must also act as su-
perintendent of construction: but, I'M
like Pooh Bah. he will not be ''insuIted
again." The first affront must suffice.
For purely advisory service the com-
mission selected. as required, two arch
itectural experts. who have assisted in
the examination of the building designs.
The first is Henry Ives Cobb. of Chica-
60, an artist of excellent reputation and
enjoying as wide patronage as any in
the country. He was the designer of
the fisheries building at the worlds
fair. the University of Chicago, the
University of Forest City. the Chicago
opera house, and other well known
structures. The other expert is Edmund
M. Wheelright. of Boston, official arch
ltect OF that city. and for years in high
repute with the profession. His taste
is irreproachable, and he is widely
recognized as all authority in all matters
relating to public buildings of an artistic
character. The proposed new city hall
at Boston is one of his notable designs.
For the Past Two Weeks
the commission and the experts have
combined in thorough examination of
the various plans. The experts have
now gone home, but may be recalled
later. 1t is presumed that they have
already made their recommendation
Beginning today the designs will be on
| public view for the next two weeks.
The capitol act requires that this ex-
hibit shall be made be fore the award of
| commission is announced.
Fifty-six designs have been received
in all. The natives of the Empire state,
always fond of scheming. have sent on
full dozen of ''the latest thing"
| Others are from Texas and Georgia,
| from San Francisco. ana from Morris,
! Pa. The thin air of Colorado may be
| bad for cats, but it is nectar and am
brOsia for artistic evolutionistS. Four
of the evolutions are on exhibition.
The Twins are about equally repre-
scented. No one that has read the
! rhythmicai arguments advancedIfrom the
big town beyond Waukegan urging the
consumption OF certain pseudos-
lards, no one that has been involved in
the sinuosities of a corner In May corn
will doubt that Chicago possesses ar
| lists and that the artists possess ideas.
Only three designs are on view, now
ever, emitting the characteristic odor of
saltpeter and brine, yet it has been re-
| ported that number of other oily
sheets were received from the Town of
Tunn els. They were for chaste and
elegant structure from eleven to twenty
six stories in height; but their implica-
ton that capitol building should con-
sist entirely of dome was not in accord
ance with the specifications.
| The bewildering abundance of plans
was suggestive of little tale. 1t was
related recently by local successor OF
| Choate Il Clay. An aged negro. return
ing home on Saturday eve. his mind in
tent on the ''mouner's seat" which he
expected to occupy on the following
day, his arms engroSsed to their fullest
extent With the painful transportation
of two enormous water melons, cast his
"dim, religious" eye upon yellow.
legged chicken escaped from its coop.
1t was very dark. To lay down melon
was to lose melon. To keep a melon
was to lose a chicken. Uncle Rastus
groaned aloud: "Ef de good Lawd don'i
help dis yere ole niggah, be'ze gwine to
make dc biggest mistake of his life!"
COST y Work on Plans.
Not only are the designs numerous,
but their cash value would not be sur
missed by the non-elect. Two hundred
thousand dollars would not exceed their
actual valuation. The detailed labor
necessitated by the specification is Sc
great that, on reflection, the reporter
was glad that he had not presented the
little design he had sketched out re.
Gently while waiting for the end of a
Populist speech. The four designs
next in order of merit to the winning
one will receive an award of $500 each.
This leaves fifty-one great men to re.
fleet that genius, as we'll as virtue, is
its own reward"
Any philosophic architect will confess
that if the architecture of the Chinese
was evolved from the sight of tent, as
the truly wise believe; if the archi.
lecture of the Greeks came from the
observation of a rustic. flaI-roofed hut,
then surely the architecture of capitol
had its pre-Raphaelite origin in the in
teresting appearance of half squash
upon a soap box. This discovery is
here announced merely in its crude