The Washington times., 1895-01-02
A Change in Ornamental Work That
Nav Have Meant Much or Little.
superintendent Green Says the Government
Might Have. Saved the Strikers, but
Wanted to Hasten the Work, and There
fore Accepted different Granite-Archi-
tect Pelz Says the Building Is Marred.

payment was mdueDy Gen. InoIldS NJ SdseY.
as disbursing officer, upon certificatlon oi
Bernard r. Green, superintendent of the work
of construction, and went to the New England
Granite Company. with offices and quarries at
Concord. n. H. Incidentally the magnificent
new structure is marred in the ey OF some
experts by the use OF stone of different hues
in the exterior faces of the building.
An intimation that certain changes from the
plans had been made in the construction OF
the new Library was recently received by THE
TIMES. II was suggested that Mr.. e. G. Ner-
Decke. of No. 24l4 q street northwest, could
give some information. Mr.. Wernecke said
he had heard Mr.. F. J. Graether. formerly OF
No. 1910 q street. had made for Gen. Casey
some changes in the plans and had some esti-
mates of the saving TO The contractors which
had probably been effected by the changes.
The amount, he understood. was between
$50. 900 and 100000. Mr.. Paul j. Pelz, OF
the architect firm Of Carlyle d Peiz, who have
an Office in Riggs Bank. might be able to tell
exactly what changes had been made. as he
drew the original plans for thebuilling. THE
TIMES reporter called on Mr.. Pelz ut his
home, No. 2007 I street northwest.
at is stated that different granite from
that intended has been used in parts OF the
new Congressional Library" said the re-
porter. 'Do you know OF II?
Yes was Mr.. Pelz's reply, Il was driv-
ing down TO my work on the National SAM
tary Company building one day when | hap
pened to look at the top work on the new
building | was so astonished at what | saw
that | rubbed my eyes TO be sure something
was not obscuring my sight. Then L looked
again. II was no mistake.
E.'.The granite at tho top OF the rotunda was
q greenish color where l expected it to be
OF the beautiful blush gray which character
iZes the rest of the structure. / could not un-
derstand it. and thought the stone must be
damp or tho atmospheric conditions some
way gave il that unexpected color. L con-
tinued 10 look at il for some time, but with
out being able 10 make out what gave the
stone such an appea ance A day or two
later met a workman whom / had known
when engaged on the building and L asked
what gave the stone AZ the top such look.
why, hadn't you heard that| he an
swered.
IT'S MARYLAND GRANITE.
There was strike OF the stonecutters and
they had the fight almost won. the New
England people were under obligations to
furnish the granite promptly, and ii they
didn't do 1t the government could take hold
of the quarries aud do the work themselves.
The company was bound to either have the
work done or get out of the way and let
somebody else employ the men. 1t claimed.
however, that it was making no money out
of its contract and insisted on q lower scale
of wages for the stonecutters.
1.-The men refused to accept 1t and the
strike began.
Everything was in the strikers favor. 1t
was only few days till some one must take
hold of the quarry. They were jubiiant. But
one day came the rumor that the work on the
shire granite. Investigation showed this to
be true Maryland granite had been sub
stituted.. The strike was broken and the
men were glad 10 go TO work at such wages
rs their employers chose TO name. And so
this Splendid government building was
marred in order to help Dig firm 10 force
their men TO work cheap.
Have there been any changes in the orna-
mental work?
''Yes. the number of dentals has been much
decreased, and much OF the fancy carving
greatly simplitied and reduced"
This has cheapened the work considerably.
Who has got the benefit?"
''Ah, that is not for me TO saw. II you con-
tract TO have a certain amount Of work done
and then reduce II sixth or the like, it will
certainly make ii less expensive, and if there
is no change in price some one must
''MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF IT.
Mr.. Bernard R. Green, superintendent OF
the library construction, when told of these
assertions, laughed and said:
"There has been no substitution of one
kind of stone for the other and no fraudulent
nor unbusiness-like practices. Any assertion
to the contrary coming from any one who
knows is simply lie. There is no other
term 10 characterize it fitly. Our work is
open to the inspection OF everybody. our ac-
counts are open 10 any proper inquiry. Peo-
pie can say what they please. We don't care
a continental"
But isn't there some green Maryland stone
that shows in the exterior of the building.
whereas the original purpose was that il
should oil be of the white New Hampshire
stone?''
''Yes: if you get far enough away and up in
the air somewhere you can see the Maryland
stone at the top of the rotunda. But 1t is ali
right. The remainder of the rotunda wall is
of the same stone''
WAS this change from the original pur-
pose on account Of the striker
''No; our purpose in taking the Maryland
stone was simply to hasten the work. We
had nothing to do with the strike, though
both sides attempted to dtaw US into it.''
WAS there not a provision that the gov
ernment could take hold of the quarries and
work them IN case of a strike?"
which the government had a lease on the
quarries in case the contractors failed for any
reason to supply the stone. The purpose OF
this was to ins1re for the building the same
kind OF stone throughout. Ii would not do
to have several different kinds showing. II
might make the building look like zebra.
So that clause was inserted, but there was
nothing about and strike.
when the strike came on. in order to keep
things moving rapidly, we allowed the New
England company to turn that part of the
contract over TO the Guilford and Walters
vile Granite Company. with Guarries at
Woodstock, Md. ] am told the New England
company afterTard
REGRETTED THAT THEY DID so.
''They made nothing or next to nothing out
Of their contract for the stone work, while
the Maryland Company had neat profit, !
am told, out Of the part turned over to them. "
what changes were made from the original
plans and Specifications for the building pre-
pared bv Mr.. Pelz? Was there a profit Of
Si5O,0O0 by the reduction of the number oi
dentals and the simpliflcation Of the orna-
mental stone work?'
''Mr Pelz did not prepare the plans and
specifications. The original plans were by
MIR. smithmeyer, who had Mr.. Pelz's assist
ance. These we adopted in the main when
lHS SOfetnmenl turned lne Work over 10
Gen. Casey. The specifications wrote my
self. The number Of deDtals was reduced in
some parts, think, and in others increased.
We made q great many changes from Mr..
PelZ's plans. We think We have very much
improved the work in that way''
when you decreased the number of den-
tails did that not make less work for the con-
tractor?'
.Yes; but there was corresponding de-
crease in pay. as provided for by the contract
or else there was an increase of work at some