The San Francisco call., 1897-02-14
A Life Full of Beauty.

E&EgENRY VAN BRUNT, writing in the
fS Inland Architect and News Record,
AN1A said that John Root was one of the
most interesting personalities in the history
OF modern architecture This opinion will be
lndorsed b. every one who has the pleasure of
eading this study of his life and work BY Miss
harriet Monroe, and they viii add to it the
opinion that the book has enriched our litera-
lure with one of the most attractively written
biographies of modern times. 1t is volume
which should be read by architects and by
all those who expect TO build home or have
voice in the selection of plans for any build,
ing, and by those diligent seekers after
breadth OF culture who would like to know
some OF the best that has been thought and
said about "the most useful of the fine arts
and the finest of the useful arts" by one OF the
foremost of American architects.
The history of John Root will be of in terest
TO the general reader, because his was char
Rcter OF singular strength and beauty. and the
literary charm with which it is narrated will
make II doubly interesting 20 those who love
excellence of style for its own sake and as a
thing aside from the Importance OF the story
told.
Mr.. Root was born in Georgia in 1850. His
iather was. a native of New Eng and, his
mother Southerner, and in his blood was
Blended the puritan and the cavalier. Even
from his birth his parents planned that this
boy should be artistic-he must love music,
poetry and p1ctures-the gifts of Pallas were
besought Tor him. His fathers bafied long
ings to be an architect were to be fulfilled in
the son, the stateliness and beauty of build
ings were to be his contribution TO the worlds
lovelness. The wish OF his parents was boun-
tifully granted. The aspiration planted in the
boys breast produced harvest of achieve
ment in manhood. An enduring monument
10 his memory exists in the graceful piles that
have made permanent in solid masonry the
beauty Of his thoughts.
sio 4 q
capacity for making 1t was the first form in
which Mr.. Root evI need his artistic tastes
But music came so easily to him that all his
life he made it his play and recreation, while
he devoted himself to architecture as the seri-
Gus business of his days. He was graduated
with high honors from the University of New
York, receiving the degree of bachelor of sci
ence and civil engineering. His working life
was spent chiefly in Chicago, whittier he went
soon after the great fire with $500 capital.
His success is q story of persistent struggle
against discouragements. 1t was four years
before his talents found such recognition that
his earnings amounted TO $500 a year. A
story illustrative of his generosity while under
the stress of hard times is that once being
moneyless al the time of a friends marriage
he pawned his watch for $50 in order to buy
the bride present. He put his music to prac-
tical use in the first years in Chicago by play
ing the organ in a church to help out his in |
come.
The future held great things in store for
him, however, and as soon as it was discovered J
what he could do he crowded with re-
nIuneratiYe work. He planned buildings that
have been erected IN many cities and con-
sidered masterpieces, some of them ranging |
in value from .$400, 900 to 81 600, 600. The !
catalogue OF his creations covers five large |
pages. Besides the many magnificent build !
ings in Chicago, he has to his credit number /
in distant cities. Among them is the Monte |
in Xyh iS mi
terialization of an architects dream of beauty. /
Another is the Equitable building in Atlanta |
which surpasses anything in that fair city |
The Mills building in San Francisco was de- |
signed by him and is considered fine ex-
ample of his power. II is said to be one OF the |
most successful of all that class of his buildings
in which the CONNIE rcial idea alone demanded
expression.
The temple he designed for the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union in Chicago is said
TO combine the elements of motive OF senti-
ment and aspiration and the commercial ideal
in a wonderful harmony. Mr.. Van Brunt
says of it: "As an expression of strength and
dignity crowned worthily by beauty and
grace no nobler example has been given in
modern times" The great archway in the
Western Union building in Chicago is one of
his mss ssterpieces and the balconied porch of
the Insurance Exchange another. But there
are far too many to enumerate.
Mr. Root formed a partnership with David
H. Burnham early in his career, and the firm
of Burnham e. Root worked harmoniously for
eighteen years and was only dissolved by the
death of Root in 1891. Root had charge OF
the department of design The big Office force
was so well organized and worked with such
sympathetic accord and ambition that it ac-
complished work astonishing in its com bina-
tion of quantity with perfection of detail.
Root designed with facile speed and had un-
usual powers of app. ication and endurance OF
tai was lv at he ST he IL
lzed that he had overworked himself.
Notwithstanding the extent of the work
done by this prolific designer his biographer
tells us that he never became absorbed in his
work so completely as 10 dwarf to dispropor-
tion the other parts of life. She tells us that
10 HIM life was more than art. He succeeded
in making himself so well beloved that strong
men wept when death came to him in the !
prime of his career. The most remarka BILE
thing about him is said to have been the COM
plete harmony OF his whole being. He was de-
veloped at all points and his character per-
fectly rounded. His fel1ow-artists bore wit |
ness to his modesty-'in one so great final !
proof of greatness"
The social side of his nature made him the |
life OF many clubs and he was instrumental in |
founding number of these. His biography |
is the story of joyous life. He had sympa- /
thy well as strength, and men whom he |
had aided sobbed like children when they |
heard OF his death. One trait OF his character |
was HIS subordination OF his personality to the |
great forces behind the progress of events; he |
seems to have regarded himself as a mere in |
strument played upon by unseen powers, and |
made the music of happy and highly useful |
life with no thought OF individual merit.
The este EN- of Mr.. Roots fellow-craftsmen is |
evidenced by his having been made president !
of the Western Association OF Architects ana |
when they were merged into the American |
Institute o1Architects he was appointed to the |
important uties of secretary OF that associa- |
ton He was consulting architect of the |
Worlds Fair at Chicago, and to him was en-
trusted the selection of the board of architects
who planned the wonders OF the White City |
In the division of labor he was assigned the |
designing OF the fine arts building, which OF
course had to be the most artistic OF all that |
creation of grace and grandeur His pre- |
Tention by death from participating fully in !
Inc great work was deplored as calamity by |
that galaxy of genius which made the dream
OF the Worlds Fair reality.
Competent judges OF the glory of architec-
ture regret that an early death deprived |
america of the fully ripened fruit OF his
genius His aspirations lacked much OF fu lhil- |
heht. His biogra pher says: 1.-THE large COM
neFciai structures. which must be pronounced
MS most important contribution 10 architec- |