Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-30
WHITE CITY BUILDINGS
Efforts Made to Dispose of Worlds Fair
Structures.
Secretary Carlisle Holds Up One Sale
The Big Building May Go to the
Cotton Exposition.

secretay Carlisle has sent a letter to
Representative L. F. Livingston. chair
man of the subcommittee committee on
appropriations, House Of Representatives
In regard to the action which has hitherto
been taken by the Treasury Department in
reference to the sale of the government
buildings at jackson Park, Chicago The
secretary cites section IL Of the act an
proved April 25, 1880, which directs him to
dispose of said buildings at the close of the
exposition, and relates the unsuccessful
efforts of the department to dispose of the
same to the city of Chicago. or TIE worlds
Columbian exposition, to whom preference
was given according to law, as shown by
the report of a commission, composed of
r. L. Bickford, secretary board of manage
ment; Z. Il. kemper, assistant supervising
architect, and James c.. Mcclure the
draughtsman who prepared the plans of
the iron work Of the main building who
were selected January 4, 1894, for the pur-
pose OF making an investigation and SUBJ
hitting lis report upon the subject. The
commission recommended that all the build
fngs be advertised for sale in the daily
papers of New York, Chicago, Cincinnati
and ST. Louis, giving the cost of construc-
tfen OF each building, together with a brief
description and that they be sold separate
ly at public auction not later than May 1,
1884. in order that the buildings could be
removed prior to May 1, 1895, the date
fixed by an ordinance Of the South Park
commission, having jurisdiction over Jack
son Park. Mr.. Bickford, however dissented
from this report, AMI submitted his views
separately. recommending that in case of
failure tc receive an acceptable bid all the
buildings should be donated to the South
Park commission of Chicago. February
IL, 1894, the above reports were submitted
to the solicitor Of the treasury for opinion
as to whether or not the law required an
appraisement to be made, a the city of
Chicago and the worlds Columbian expo
-sts hal
tor rendered his opinion February 20, stat
ing that in his judgment the statute does
not contemplate the appraisement of the
buildings except in the event of their sale
to the city of Chicago or to the worlds eX-
position, but should this preference be de-
clined by either then the said buildings
should be sold to the best possible advant-
age; that, 1t seemed 10 him, would be best
secured by due advertisement in the man.
ner proposed. The entire appropriation for
the buildings having been exhausted. there
was no available fund out of which such
advertising expenses could be paid. and the
department was therefore obliged to resort
to other means of giving publicity to the
matter.
The superintendent of public buildings
at Chicago made report February 10,
1884, in which he stated that he had in
terviewed several contractors and wreck
age companies in reference to the matter;
that some of them wanted to be paid for
removing the buildings. and others would
only large building sold at the worlds fair
was the Illinois building, which was sold
for 81 ,6o9. The Secretary also gives a list
Of the large number of firms and corpora
tons who were invited to submit bids and
those who declined to do so. AS no sale
could be made nor any acceptable offer
having been received, the department on
May 8 sent special agent to Chicago to
investigate the condition of the buildings
and ascertain for what price they could
be sold. May IL the special agent advised
the department that he had interviewed
fifty contractors and builders and that the
Chicago House Wrecking Company had
offered s., $50 for the large building, which
was 81, 100 more than the superintendent
official estimate Of its probable selling
price, and that /. NJ. Condit had offered
checks had been deposited TO secure both
bids, &c. May IL the department advised
the special agent by telegraph to accept
the offers and close the matter, IL the con-
tracts provided for the removal of all the
material to the satisfaction of the municipal
and park authorities. The special agent.
in conformity with the departments in
structions. had contracts prepared, which.
with the certified checks, have been trans
mitted TO the department and are now held
by the, Secretary. The Secretary has not
yet affixed his signature to the contracts,
it having been withheld in compliance with
the suggestions Of Mr.. Livingston's tele-
gram OF May 21 that the proceedings should
be suspended for a few days, which tele-
gram, the Secretary states, conveyed the
first intimation the department had that
Congress contemplated donating the main
government building to the cotton states
exposition, about to be held at Atlanta,
Ga. The Secretary states that the Chicago
House wrecking Company, who purchased
the main building, are now insisting on
the prompt execution OF the contract, and.
as the building is now held at the risk of
the government without insurance, he SUBJ
mits that Congress should dispose of the
pending proposition at the earliest possible
day. The Secretary states that the con-
tract with /. NJ. Condit for the small build
irgs, not being involved in the proposed
action by Congress. will be executed at
once and the contract price covered into
the treasury. but that the contract for
the main building will be held for a rea-
sonable time, in order that he may con-
form to such action as Congress may see
proper to take in view of the facts.