The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-04
FATE OF ST LOUIS AUDITORIUM.
1t Will be Used for Few Months and
Then Torn Down.

ihth lOii boNns
The erstwhile bravely adorned auditor
ium that rang with the defiance of the
free silver men and with the cheers of
the McKinleyites and Hanna camp follow
ers is n dismantled and lonely monument
to departed enthusiasm.
j. Anthony German, Of San Francisco
to whom belongs the credit of the simple
but beautiful decorations, has completed
the work of dehabilitating the big hall
He will ship all the silk paraphernalia
to the city by the Golden Gate and it will
be used in II carnival to be held in Cali
fornia's metropolis this fall. He pre-
scented the souvenirs of the convention
in the form of flags and pictures to John
NJ Thurston, G. w. Fairbanks and
Chauncey Depew, and to Mrs Mckinley
he sent one of the largest flags. The
background or foundation of the decora-
tions will be left for the inspiration of
the POpulist brothers. The draperies of
the wooden columns and the bands of red
white and blue bunting that defined the
ratings of the gallery, as well as those
which sOftened the light that fell through
the monitor or big skylight, will
serve as II substantial nucleus of such
adjournment as the Populists desire. But
the big building, guarded by two police
men, is gloomy now in contrast with its
aspect WIZ lllSUluCl WlIn lie Unrcc V;lNS
ago.
The furniture will remain there until
the close of the convention which will he
held July %, after which the building
committee will probably sell the $4,000
chairs and dispose i'll Il similar fashion of
the remaining accessories.
The hall itself will stand until Novem-
Der l. After that it will become the
property of the contractor. Richard p.
Mcclure, who will have it sold as old
lumber. BY the terms of the contract
the building will be for rent for big meet
ings and rallies until that date. 1t will
be useless during the winter, for it would
not cost less than $4,000 to put heat
ing plan into the immense building
The ground it occupies will he converted
| into Il city park next spring.
The structure is not only of interest be
cause of the convention just closed and
the one shortly TO be held therein but be
cause of the fact that it was erected in II
less time than any other building of its
class in the history of architecture
Work was begun on it April |, and in
six weeks it was ready for occupancy
No one, unless it was the busy contractor,
worked overtime. The eight hour rule
was strictly adhered to- Another otable
fact was, that there was not an accident
III touucCllol NlJl any portion Oh tNc
work. Few large buildings there he
which have not been to some degree
affairs for the sacrifice of human life
Every precaution was taken to prevent
injury to the workmen. The contract
ors enjoined extreme care, with the happy
results referred to.
Although Mr.. Mcclure will have | 300.
600 feet of lumber at his disposal when
the big building is torn down. he says
his will be small profit, if any, as the eX-
pense of undoing the work of April will
| cost as much rs he can realize from the
lumber, which will then, of course, he
second hand.
Until November l, which will see the
initial work III its demolition, the build
ing will be in charge of Sam kennard,
William II. Thompson and Richard c..
kerens. Doubtless it will he IL popular
place for rallies in the early all-St.
Louis Republic