The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-06-24

ticians." they printed on a placard affixed
to the door. The lintes were draprd in
black. and the sign had a somber border
expressive of sorrow for the weakliDg
Office.
Theodore Laist, the chief draughtsman.
was disguised unutterably at the discour-
tesy shown him by the present architect,
Shea, and his friend on the City Hall COM
mission. Broderick. He accepted the in
evitable with good grace, however, though
not without leaving a caricature of the
Wells statute chosen for the proposed
dome on the desk OF his private office,
where it was found after he had left the
place.
This bit of sarcasm and Irony in few
clever lines must have stung TO the quick
those for whom It was intended. 1t con-
sists of a pedestal, bearing the heads of
Commissioners Broderick and Cresswell
on spacious plinth. These god-like twins
have halos. wings and all that sort of thing.
as CALL artist conceived them recently.
Their names appear on either side, and
beneath is the biting legeud: "Obit, Dec.
81, 1894 Sacred TO the Memory of the De-
parted Commissioners" The extraordinary
creation of +. Marion Wells, intended as a
design for the statue that is to crown the
dome, STANDS upon this pedestal
And two sOrrOwful asses are weeping
profuse tears as their eyes behold the
angelic vision and its accompanying ex-
PLANTATION on the slab. Underneath the
designer wrOte that when the Commits
sloners are elected and Wells statue is re-
jected this monument will be put up by
asses TO their memory.
The parting skit is taken as a clear ex-
position Of LASTS contempt for intrigues
and the pretensions of his political supe-
riOrs'to a knowledge of art.
1t was this high view of politics. or
rather disregard Tor the queer ethics that
maintain In the City Hall. that caused all
tue trouble. To begin with, LaiSt is not
politician. He was chosen on account of
his ability and knowledge 10 design the
City Hall dome. and he accepted the posi-
ton without having any agreement that
he could not speak as an art critic, even to
newspaper men. Shortly after Broderick
and Creswell made some arrangement by
which the Wells statue was chosen for the
dome. Laist and Shea discussed the selec-
ton.
The architect stated in very emphatic
terms that he was perfectly willing to be
placed on record as opposed so the statue,
because in his opinion it was next to the
worst design submitted and he was not
consulted in the selection-a courtesy
which be declared was due TO bis position.
Impressed with the architects declaration
- LII
reporter and was dismissed next day.
Fortunately the stately and classic dome
was designed and the main drawings were
completed.
With Laist were discharged four men,
two of them clever artists and draughts-
men. Not one of these assistants knew
what was going on, and consequently they
were innocent victims. Various reasons
were given at various times for their dis
mlssal, as reference to The CALL files
Will show. These excuses were singularly
complicated and contradictory and did not
help matters for the architect or Commits
sloners-omtting The MavOr, who stood
aloot-sO far as public opinion goes. One
excuse was that the commission would cut
down expenses, and Shea added he was
grleved to part with his staff.
Only few days later new men were en-
gagged and the expense account kept up as
usual. Besides these Is a new superin-
tendent OF construction getting $3.50 a
month. superintendent OF brlckwork at
$50 and superintendent of ironwork at
$50. although so far nothing has been
done In the way of construction. Laist
claims that Condor, one of the new APP
pOintees, is not a competent draughtsman
and that all his work is done by a. j.
Frye, civil engineer at 4Q1 California
street.
While all the fuss was going on over the
statue it quietly crumbled into dust, being
only rough clay sketch model. A con-
tract has been made for the figure, how
ever, according 10 the sketch, but there is
nothing now to produce as record-nos
even photograph-and the sculptor will
not be restricted to any special design.