Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-09-14
man fell before the sickle of Time, full


because OF ignorance IN high places,
no artistic hand has guided the growth
of the city. There has been no system
in the erection of public buildings. The
city has unrivaled architectural mag
nifcence, mainly because the original
designer planned SO well that careless
generations of subsequent years could
not wander far away from the beauty
and symmetry which he marked with
unerring accuracy. Unless the archi-
tects of the country take universal in
tcrest in the growth of the capital city
its artistic splendor may be marred by
official carelessness or incapacity in the
near future; for many public buildings
must yet be erected. The selection of
sites for them should not be left to the
shuttle cock imbecility of congressional
committees and corrupt lobbies.
The capitol building stands upon the
brow of splendid eminence, and it's
situation gives much of its charm to
the exquisitely studied proportions of
the magnificent legislative palace. The
artist from whose brain grew that Won
! derful edifice undoubtedly appreciated
the advantages of the site, and consid-
| cred the location as part of his de-
sign. The landscape gardener but full
filed the functions of his Office in add
ing to the beauty of the building, just
as the stone masons fulfilled their func-
tions in making visible the thoughts of
the creator of the structure.
The artistic beauty and proportions
of the city can be marred as stated be-
fore, by the incapacity and careless
A.
an illustration of this assertion, the
editor of the American Architect called
attention to the fact that in the treas
ury, at the other end of Pennsylvania
avenue, we have building little in
ferior to the capitol in simplicity and
beautiful proportion, and at least equal
to anything else of the kind in the
world. Somerset house, in London.
with which the treasury compares in
size, is far inferior in design, being
SQUAT and broken: while the colonnade
of the Louvre, although longer than
the east side of the treasury and much
| higher, is hardly more dignified and
not so well proportioned. The white
house, next to the treasury, agrees
with it in scale and style, and is a build
ing of which we have at least no reason
to feel ashamed; but here the architec-
ture of the first reservation ends; and
as pendant to the treasury, of nearly
,he same size and occupying a position
exactly similar on the other side of the
white house we find huge, fussy,
bulging carpenters creation of little
istraddling porches, pavilions, dormers,
| domes, roofs, pediments, chimneys and
trimmings of all shapes and sizes. Such
building would be offensive enough
anywhere, but as a balance to the
beautiful and quiet treasury it is re-
voting. The building itself is evidence
enough that its designer had no archi-
tectural feeling or training whatever;
bat it is amazing that SO wanton an in
suit to the symmetry and stateliness Of
the front Of the reservation should
have been carried out under the eyes o.
the principal officials of the govern
ment without objection.
There is an example of artistic care
lessness or ignorance. The man who
located the state, &var and navy build
ing, and designed it, paid no respect
whatever to the work Of the preceding