The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-09
STANTON WINS.
His Are the Plans That Are
Eventually Accepted
For the Auditorium by the
Council Last Night.
EXPLAIN
Both Plans Are Carefully Gone
Over by the Council
Which Finally Endorses the
Action of the Committee.

The city council informally ratified
the action of the Auditorium associa-
| tion at the executive meeting held last
| night for the purpose of considering
| the plans for the Auditorium. That
means that the Auditorium will be built
| according to the plans of Architect J.
F. Stanton.
At the outset the city council refused
to take the responsibility of the Audi
torium project. They said that was a
matter to be done by the Commercial
club and refused to be considered as
parties in the matter except as it was
necessary to ratify what was done.
The Auditorium association was then
organized and three members of the
council were placed on the association
by Mayor Fellows to look after the in
terests of the city, for the building is
to be the property of the city. The as
sociation is composed of "a of the best
business men in Topeka
There was a, formal advertisement
for plans, and two sets were submitted
one by L. M. Wood and the other by
J. F. Stanton. The association decid-
ed in favor of the Stanton plans and
the action was reported to the council
for ratification.
1t created some surprise when the
council hesitated about indorsing the
action of the association and a secret
meeting was called for last night to
consider the plans. The reason given
for holding an executive meeting was
that the members would feel more free
to express themselves if none of the
adherents of the two architects were
present. But nevertheless the newspa-
per representatives were excluded with
the rest.
The council spent almost two hours
discussing the plans and then infor-
mally decided to ratify the action of
the Auditorium association. This act
ion will be reported at an open council
meeting next Monday evening when
formal aRtinn will IA There c
now nothing in the way of the associa-
ton going on with the work
The council went into executive ses-
sion shortly after 10 O'Clock. From
o'clock up to that time the members
of the council listened to the eXplana-
tions of the two competing architects,
L. M. Wood and J. F. Stanton. The
two architects were heard separately.
and although limited at the start to Is
minutes each, together they consumed
over an hour and a half of the councils
time
L. NJ Wood, the man whose plans
were not accepted by the Auditorium
association and who for this reason
wanted to ignore the association and
present the matter to the council, talk
ed first
The maximum cost of the building he
had planned he stated to be $30,441 and
the minimum cost $21. 1872. He said that
the building would seat in the neigh
borhood of 6, 500, and showed the coun-
ell to his own satisfaction that the
could not possibly have this seating
capacity When Mr.. Wood finished ex-
planning his specifications, he turned
his attention to the Auditorium asso-
citation and said:
''I want to say a word now about my
dealings with the Auditorium asSocla-
ton. Mr.. Stanton says that he prepar-
ed the plans for his building in four
days 1t took me and my son night and
day for two weeks to prepare the
plans you see before you. On May II L
asked for an extension of time to allow
me to get up suitable plans and on May
IA they accepted Stantons building.
The members of the association said
then that they were in a great hurry
with the matter and could not extend
the time That was three weeks ago |
and I haven't noticed any hurry in re-
gard to the matter since. Nothing has
been done since that time.
Il also want to say to the council that
I will not hold this body liable for any
expense in arranging these plans up to
this time. If my plans are accepted l
will expect my salary to go on, but If
my plans are not accepted L will not
claim a cent"
When Mr. Wood concluded and with |
drew, Mr.. Stanton was called in to ex-
plain his plans. Mr.. Stanton had with |
him the plans originally presented to |
the Auditorium association and the re-
Vised plan prepared at the request of
the association after the original plans !
had been admitted. Both plans were |
spread out on the table before the men, |
bers of the council.
1t seems that Councilman Elliott was |
not aware that a revised plan had been |
asked for after the acceptance of Stan !
toms plans by the Auditorium aSsocia- |
ton. and when the fact that two dis |
tinct plans were then before the council |
came up in the course of Mr.. StantOn's |
explanation he thought >there had been |
unfair proceedings.
This isn't a fair way to do said he |
in tone which plainly demonstrated |
that he was in an angry mood. What |
right has this architect to bring in |
plans that he drew after another plan |
had been accepted. What we want to |
see is the original plan and don't see |
why another plan should be here"
Here is the plan as originally sub |
mitted to the association, Mr.. Elliott" |
said Councilman NettleS. Il can ex-
plain the entire matter in a satisfactory !
manner in about five minutes if you !
want to hear it,
well. we don't want to hear it. re- |
torted Councilman Elliott. I'VE don't |
want you to explain. There was no one |
here to explain for the other architect |
and why should you make explanations |
for this one. If there are any exp1ana- |
tions the architect is the man to make |
them and not you"
Mr.. Stanton didn't have anything to |
do with revising the original PLAN" put |
in Councilman Nettles. THE revision |
of that plan was the work of the Audi |
toTium association. He did it at the re- |
quest of the association. That revised |
plan is the plan that the associa ton |
wants and it's the only plan that should |
why" softly queried Councilman |
Drew from a corner of the room.
why? I can tell you why" said |
Councilman Nettles in an emphatic ]
manner. wait till we go into execu- |
tive session and I'll tell you why. I |